Reflecting

As you may have noticed, I kind of disappeared from this blog for the past four months (give or take a few months).

Please don't think that I was just abandoning you, dear reader.

I became enveloped in probably one of the most important research projects I'll be doing in my life. My senior seminar.

And this is only the first one.

I started with my English seminar, and, after approval from the English department, chose to look at Shakespeare's Richard II. I wanted to see why performances had a) increased (there have been at least three big shows in the past five years) and b) why, of the ones that I have seen, the characterization of Richard seemed to be so similar.

I started by asking myself whether Richard was being portrayed as gay (a form I termed gay!Richard in my shorthand notes); after some research, I began to wonder if he was actually being portrayed as gay, or if I was just reading a whole lot into it (which I termed gay?Richard); and finally, after some serious discussion with my mentor, decided that he was being portrayed as androgynous (and, you guessed it, this was shorthanded androgynous!Richard).

My interest in the play came from seeing The Hollow Crown when it first came on in 2013. I was a small, overeager freshman, and Shakespeare seemed like the most exciting thing to me since sliced bread. I had read Hamlet as a senior in high school, and was in the midst of a plan to read the Complete Works before I turned 18 (shockingly, that didn't happen). But Hollow Crown helped the history plays come alive for me in a way that I never thought they could - especially because they were so incredibly well cast. When I wouldn't shut up about Ben Whishaw and Tom Hiddleston, my parents bought the DVDs for me as a birthday gift.

Fast forward to last year, when I went to Stratford-upon-Avon for Thanksgiving. I knew that David Tennant was also doing a production of the play, but I had missed it - it was at the Barbican, at the time, and I was not setting foot anywhere near a major metropolitan area after the Paris attacks. But the RSC happened to sell a copy of it - and the employees, when I mentioned that I really enjoyed reading the play, raved about the performance. I was told I had to watch it, and that it was fantastic.

When I got home to the States in the spring, I was mulling ideas over in my head. Since my freshman year, I had always thought I'd write about Gatsby - it is still, to this day, my favorite book, and up until that point, I was pretty certain I would be looking at it in comparison to Donna Tartt's The Secret History. But, one afternoon, when talking to a professor about a number of topics (including my desire to take a Russian lit class before I graduated, which he then offered me the chance to do), the topic of my seminar came up. And, when I mentioned that I had one that I was mulling around but hadn't really considered yet, he perked up. He was even more excited by the idea of working with Richard II than I was, and his response - that our prof who specializes in Shakespeare would be super excited about it - made me think twice about what I was doing. I set up a meeting with our Shakespearean and didn't look back (except to read Gatsby again. Because that's a great novel and everyone should read it sometime).

I don't think I realized just how correct that assessment was. I've never seen a professor so excited about a topic before. And I mean, I was excited (and I'm way more excited now, at the end, about my topic than I ever was at the beginning when I had zero idea about what I was talking about), but not that excited. Over the rest of the spring semester, I was sent essays, suggested reading, and so much more. I spent my summer writing up notes on the basics of homosexuality in early modern England, history plays, and Richard studies in general, as well as performance theory - a relatively new thing in Shakespeare studies.

I did a lot of reading.

And then seminar kicked in.

I learned that, as a double major, my default mode is not English major, but history. And so I worked on cutting down the issues I had with pointing to facts and saying, "so there."

I learned that, while things might be clear to me (and to my mentor, God bless him), the argument chain has to be completely written out for everyone else. So I can't just say, "LOOK AT THIS. THIS IS BAD." I actually have to explain it.

I learned that, just because I thought I wasn't far enough along on my project, that I wasn't actually behind. I watched classmates struggle to meet deadlines because we were all on different timelines and schedules.

I learned that, despite what I think (and I think it often), I am a good writer. I can pull together papers that flow well, that argue cohesive thoughts, and make a point about the text.

I also learned that I can present my ideas well. And sound professional while I do it. Despite what I think.

I also learned that, if you stick two Shakespeare nerds in a room with a project that needs to be worked on, they won't be able to focus for longer than 30 minutes at a time (and by the end of it, baboons on the early modern stage will have come up).

I learned that both of my departments have my back. I have never felt so loved or appreciated as I have this semester, when I would just walk into someone's office and either almost cry from stress or just start talking about a problem I was having (I owe all of you cookies before I graduate).

I learned that I should not be afraid of saying what I'm thinking, or being honest with my mentor. Because let's be honest, if I'm having this question, he's probably been waiting for me to ask it.

I learned that my seminar topic follows me everywhere. No matter how hard I tried, it would pop up in literally every class I took this semester (even in World Wars I and II. Which was impressive.).

I learned that Foucault is hard to read, but if you talk it out enough times, it makes sense (to an extent).

I learned that trying to be in a Shakespeare play and also write about a Shakespeare play at the same time is not the best thing to do. Especially for the sanity of your cast mates, who don't want to hear about traditional staging or costuming techniques for the 500th time (I love all of you - thanks for putting up with me).

I learned that my small group members are invaluable in encouraging me to keep going when times are tough. Thanks, you guys.

Most importantly, though, I realized that I'm definitely on the right track. I'm applying to grad schools right now, and the English programs I've chosen are all early modern, with a focus on Shakespeare. I want to keep doing research like this - looking closely at a text that I love and finding out more about it - for as long as I can. If anything, I've fallen more in love with Shakespeare and Richard II than I was when I started this project. My friends may groan when I mention something that starts with "fun fact" and ends with "Shakespeare" now, but I know that this project has only cemented my love for the Bard.

I'm very glad I've found where I belong.

It's also given me a chance to closely work with the English department. And - let me tell you - this department is fantastic. They don't get nearly enough credit for the work that they do.

I could go on and on with the stories I have about these intrepid men and women, but I'll try and focus.

Working with these people has made me realize just how little I really know about books and literature. But it's also made me realize how great they are. I can walk into someone's office (literally anyone's, their doors are always open) with a question about theory or books or Star Wars or cats and it can lead to an amazing conversation. These people have seen me at my best and my worst, and aren't afraid to tell it to me like it is when it needs to be said. I've had profs come and support me in my extracurricular endeavors, but also remind me when it was time to step back and take a break from life.

In my desire to become a professor myself, I could not have asked for better examples. I have been blest to learn from the very best.

So, as I wrap up the final edits on my seminar paper, I am able to look back on the experiences of this past semester (and all four years of English literature classes) and turn toward the future with a straight back and a confident smile.

Onward to history seminar.

Expecting Too Much: Or, Why I Have an Issue with College Board's 101 Books to Read Before College

Earlier this morning, I discovered a list made by the College Board of 101 books that college-bound freshmen should have read before attending their first day of school. I went through the list, thinking that it wouldn't be too bad - especially since, as an English major, I would most likely have read a majority, if not all of, the list.

I was wrong.

Of the 101 books, I have only read 52. And of those 52, 11 were books that I did not read until college - and I attended an incredibly progressive high school and read outside of class. So that was an issue for me. 

Other issues were their selections. No high school student is going to willingly pick up War and Peace or Moby-Dick, even for class. I read both of them - the former in high school and the latter over the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college - because I enjoy pushing myself. Even then, War and Peace still took me a year and a half to complete with my other reading, because I read it outside of class. And I only finished Moby-Dick because I was halfway through and didn't want to give up on it.

I also have yet to see a high school student who has picked up Faulkner for fun, much less two of his novels (and there are very few English student who would do so, as well).

Many of the books on this list are supposed to promote diversity and open up readers' eyes to the world around them. I don't have an issue with that - I think that's a wonderful idea. What I do take issue with is that not a single book on this list has been published recently. There are certain books that have been published in the last 15-20 years that are considered modern classics - and yet the most recent work on the list is probably from the 1970s or 1980s. It would be amazing to see the addition of a novel such as The Secret History or American Gods to this list. It certainly isn't one that shies from difficult topics - it includes books on slavery, femininity, and war, among other topics. These books all raise questions that make readers think - so why not include thinking questions from modern authors, too?

I have no issue with the concept of recommended reading lists for incoming college students - in fact,there is one on this blog that I have composed. But I think, for the sake of those students, they should be composed with the student in mind - with keeping them engaged in their reading and focusing on the world around the student, and making the pedigree of the reading list to a minimum. 

You can find the College Board's list here: http://www.uhlibrary.net/pdf/college_board_recommended_books.pdf

You can find my post about recommended summer reading here: http://wateryink.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-summer-reading-list-for-rising.html

The Great Russian Readthrough

Hello, readers!

I realize it has been a few months since I have posted here, so I wanted to give you an update on what I've been reading.

For the next semester, I am doing an independent study of Russian Literature, which I have designed to cover everything from the 19th century Golden Age (think Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and the other greats) to the 21st. The purpose of this span is not only to give me the chance to read more Russian lit (which, I confess, while incredibly strange, is something that I've wanted to do for ages), but to see how Russian history has affected what Russian authors write about. Specifically, I'm interested to see whether Soviet control of propaganda and other information which was released to the public caused authors to cloak their critiques of the government in historical events.

In order to get through everything that I will be reading this semester in a timely manner, I've set up a reading schedule over the summer so that I can read each book and take notes before the school year starts.

Here's a taste of what I'm going to be reading:

1. Eugene Onegin - Alexander Pushkin
2. Notes from Underground - Fydor Dostoevsky
3. Demons: A Novel in Three Parts - Fydor Dostoevsky
4. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
5. The Cherry Orchard - Anton Chekov
6. And Quiet Flows the Don - Mikhail Sholokhov
7. Life and Fate - Vassily Grossman
8. Siberia - Nikolai Maslov
9. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich - Alexander Solzhenitsyn
10. The Master and Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakov
11. The Funeral Party - Lyudmila Ulitskaya
12. Selected Poems - Marina Tsvetayeva
13. The Day of the Oprichnik - Vladimir Sorokin

I've already finished the first three, and I'm almost done with Anna Karenina, so I feel like I'm doing well. The only one that I'm worried about getting stuck in is Life and Fate, because it's almost as long as War and Peace (you can see that it is noticeably absent from this list - there's a reason for that). I'm really excited for discussion with these works, though.

Of the three that I've finished, I surprisingly most enjoyed Eugene Onegin. I don't usually like poetry, especially extended poems, but I couldn't put the work down. I understood the characters so well, and felt like they were human and fleshed out. By comparison, I felt like Dostoevsky's characters were too bogged down in philosophizing and passing on religion to be fully formed. And at least one of the characters in each novel has to be insane, apparently (this is a running theme I'm noticing, having found it in The Brothers Karamazov and in Crime and Punishment as well). 

Anna Karenina is interesting, in that so far (at least) it does not have nearly the level of political commentary that its companions have had. It is solely a social commentary. If anything, what it does the most is reveal the position of women in Russian society in the 19th century, through four different female characters. As I finish reading, I might keep pondering this viewpoint (maybe it could be a good paper topic!).

That's it for now - I look forward to updating you all with more about the Great Russian Readthrough! 

Happy summer reading, everyone!

So Many Books, So Little Time

I realize that I haven't posted in a while (okay, almost forever), but with classes going on, it's hard to get time to write about what I'm reading!

I've been mostly reading books for classes, but many of them are new reads for me - and ones that I'm really enjoying.

To give you a brief rundown of what I've been reading, I will go class by class. Each book will receive a brief summary, or a note that it is a reread (which it is, in the case of some of them). With those that are rereads, I will not be reviewing them, as they do not apply towards this project - but feel free to ask my opinions in the comments!

Here we go...

Absolutism and Enlightenment

This is a class that I took my freshman year, and so I'm sitting in on it this year as a way to determine what I want to do in grad school, and also because I missed having a class with my advisor. Part of the deal was that I would do the out of class reading and participate in discussion - so here is what we have been reading:

The Devils of Loudun - Aldous Huxley

This history book, written in a novelistic style, tells the story of a Jesuit priest in the village of Loudun in France who was arrested on charges of witchcraft. His trial pulled in not only his small village and their issues with Huguenot and Catholic tension, but also Cardinal Richelieu, and the event was blown into one of mass hysteria. Eventually, the man was executed and one of the nuns who accused him became a wandering visionary. It's a fascinating look at the period - and a book that we had not used in the class before.

The movie version, The Devils, is a pass - it does its best to make the story much more sensational than it even needs to be. It's already quite a sensational story as it is.

If you're interested in Church/state relationships, absolutist France, witchcraft, or mysticism, I highly recommend this.

The other books that we've been reading this semester are all rereads for me - Vermeer's Hat, The Affair of the Poisons, and Candide. I still love all of these, and loved having the chance to crack them open again.

Colonial Latin America

This class has focused on the history of Latin America - mainly modern-day Mexico, Peru, and Brazil - and the way in which life changed forever when the Spanish and Portuguese arrived. It traces interactions between native peoples and the Iberian invaders until the independence movement in Mexico. We have used three main books, but the only one which has been read in full is the following:

Victors and Vanquished: Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico - Stuart B. Schwartz

As the title says, this book deals with the interactions between the native people of Mexico - called variously Mexica and Nahua by the text - and the Spanish. It is a compilation of primary source documents from both sides, with summaries of events at the beginning of each chapter.

Having never studied colonial Latin America in depth like this before, I found this book fascinating. The Mexica perspective was incredibly interesting to me, because it was occasionally filtered through the translation work of Franciscan friars - which makes me question how much of a spin the friars may have put on the documents. This book was incredibly enlightening for me, however, as it opened my eyes up to the other narrative that is so often overlooked in Euro-centric studies of the Age of Colonialism.

If you're interested in the Conquest of Mexico, the Spanish Empire, Aztec traditions, or the history of Latin America, I highly recommend.

British Literature from 1789 to the Present

The class is pretty much as the title says: we're doing a survey of British Lit from 1789 - the year of the French Revolution and the beginning of the modern period - to the current era. Much of the work we have read has been poetry or small essays by authors compiled within the Masters of British Literature collection. We have also read Persuasion and Jane Eyre, both rereads for me. However, our most modern novel is the following:

The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

Ishiguro's Booker Prize winning novel deals with a butler in the 1950s as he drives to see a former co-worker and copes with his memories of his former master, a Nazi sympathizer whose home was the site of many important events during the Long Weekend between the World Wars. The novel is a reflection on memory, on duty and greatness, on what it means to be British, and on life.

And I could not love it.

I tried, I really did. But the narrator, Stevens, is so heartlessly tied to his job that he carelessly tosses out information as if it were a small matter. His inability to react at key moments made me hate him. I could not, for the life of me, find sympathy for him, in any way, shape, or form - and this made reading the novel an unbearable slog.

I really loved Never Let Me Go, and, while I had some reservations about it, I enjoyed The Buried Giant. But, even if you are a rabid Downton Abbey fan (and, for the most part, I am), I would not read this novel.

Fantasy Literature

Here is where most of my reading has been coming from this semester. Two of these are rereads - American Gods and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, both of which are tried and true favorites. Two volumes we read selections from - After the Quake and Dreams Underfoot. But three have been new for me.

Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights - Salman Rushdie

I must confess that I have never before read a Rushdie novel. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started reading. And I must say, a jinnia in love with a philosopher, a magical storm overtaking New York, a Candide-esque gardener and a Lady Philosopher were not what I was expecting.

The novel took a good while to pick up, but once it would start, it would cycle off-topic once again. If you are familiar with the 1000 and 1 Nights, which this novel is mirroring, then this should make sense - but if you are not, this is confusing and can make for a very difficult read.

I enjoyed sections of this novel, but I'm not sure I'd pick it back up just for fun. If you're a fan of Rushdie's writing, then I'd suggest it. Otherwise, I'd pass this one by.

A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

I finally get all the hype.

If you aren't familiar with Game of Thrones by this point, I'm not sure how. It's been everywhere almost, since its arrival on HBO. The first novel pretty much covers the events of the first season - up to the death of Ned Stark and the birth of Khaleesi's dragons.

I think I fell in love mostly with Martin's writing style. He writes the best food scenes since Redwall - I think most of my notes were about how I would willingly move to Westeros just for the food alone! I was also looking for hints of the War of the Roses, which he has said on multiple occasions was the inspiration and basis for the series. While I have guesses, I don't want to reveal them too early...there is a decent chance that I'm wrong.

If you like high fantasy, read this one. Trust me.

And then read The Kingkiller Chronicles, because it doesn't get enough praise.

The Bone Clocks - David Mitchell

This. Book.

I loved Cloud Atlas, and so seeing a novel with a similar set-up was exciting. Six sections, all interconnected because of the presence of one woman: Holly Sykes. Holly opens the novel, introducing us to her life, with The Radio People, her strange younger brother, Jacko, and the actions that she took after one fight with her mother that change the lives of everyone in her family forever.

I was hooked - right up until the last section. Holly returned as narrator for the final section, in a post-apocalyptic wasteland of Ireland where she is a grandmother. It almost felt as if the author had lost Holly's voice in the midst of his writing about her from others' perspectives, and I didn't quite find the ending believable.

Despite the ending, I highly recommend this novel and Cloud Atlas. Both will have you on the edge of your seat.

Civil War and Reconstruction

Last but not least come the books I've been reading for Civil War and Reconstruction. We have been using selections from This Mighty Scourge, along with the following:

This Great Struggle: America's Civil War - Steven E. Woodworth

This is an easy-to-follow, step-by-step account of the Civil War, from before the war to after. For the most part, it is relatively easy to read. The only exceptions are during battles, at which point Woodworth becomes burdened with military lingo that may not be easily understood by the average reader.

I think this is a very succinct look at the war, and I have greatly enjoyed reading it. For those interested in an overview of the whole war, this is an excellent choice.

The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery - Eric Foner

I am not terribly fond of Eric Foner's academic writing, which I knew going into this book, and was hoping that a full-length book would be different. My other issue with this book is its focus: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery. There is only so much paper that can be devoted to the fact that Lincoln didn't have a defined plan until the end of the war, and then he was shot.

But Foner manages.

Sometimes, this book is interesting - such as Lincoln's obsession with the policies of Henry Clay (he called him the "beau ideal of a statesman") and the treatment of escaped slaves prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. But it is poorly divided, with chapters that never seem to end and a topic that, while important to study, could have been managed in a better way.

I understand that, for the purposes of this class, looking at the treatment of African-Americans was key. However, I would have liked to look at African-Americans in the war, rather than just slavery overall. Something focusing on the 54th Massachusetts, for instance, would have been interesting, or one of the contraband units formed throughout the South.

If you are interested in Lincoln and his work with the anti-slavery movement (or, depending on the period, his lack of work), then this is the book for you. If you're looking for a biography of Lincoln, then look elsewhere - this is a very narrow lens on Lincoln's political life.

The Killer Angels - Michael Shaara

This novel tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg from the viewpoints of the men who were there - Lee, Longstreet, Chamberlain, and others. It not only gives readers a first-hand account of the battle, but elicits sympathy for both sides and what occurred.

I loved this book. By the end, I just wanted to give Robert E. Lee a hug - he was so depressed and just wanted to go home and play with his grandchildren. I do think this novel takes advantage of its first person narrative to tug at the reader's heartstrings, however, and so is not as accurate as a history book could be.

That being said, if you like novels about military events or the Civil War, this is the great Civil War novel. Definitely pick this one up.

A Year in the South, 1865: The True Story of Four Ordinary People Who Lived Through the Most Tumultuous Twelve Months in American History - Stephen V. Ash

This book is a form of bottom-up history - looking at the lives of average people instead of the big names. And it is fascinating.

It follows four people - a slave, a Virginia war widow, a paroled Confederate soldier, and a preacher living on a  plantation - who lived across the Confederacy in 1865, tracking their lives and how they survived the end of the war and the beginning of Reconstruction. It does a good job of using primary sources and explaining exactly what situations in each area were at the period. The prose is engaging, and the stories are incredibly human.

This is a must-read to understand Southern life after the end of the Civil War if you are interested in the period.

Outside of Class

Of course I've been reading outside of class! I've read two novels in my free time, Carry On and Gray, both of which were excellent. I'm also still working my way through Alexander Hamilton, which is as fascinating as ever.

That's a lot of reviews, so I hope you enjoyed them! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments!

First Books of the Year

It's only been seven days of 2016, and I've already finished two books and am working on a third.

The book that I'm working on is Ron Chernow's Hamilton biography. After spending my whole semester with Hamilton: An American Musical on repeat, I felt it was only fitting to read the book it was based on (especially since it's been sitting on my bookshelf unread for years). And so far, it's been fascinating - although I have gotten bogged down in a lot of banking and economic terminology that isn't exactly the most exciting of reading.

The two books that I've finished are Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo, and Landline, by Rainbow Rowell. From this point on, please be warned: I will be discussing the whole novel, so spoilers are possible. 

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Okay, now that that's out of the way...

Shadow and Bone

Leigh Bardugo

The premise of Shadow and Bone is one that has become incredibly familiar - a young girl must save her people from certain disaster, all while being torn between two attractive men. In this case, the girl is Alina Starkov - a mapmaker from the First Army of Ravka, a country literally torn in two by the Shadow Fold, an area of darkness so deep that those who wander in don't see the creatures who kill them until it's too late. After saving her regiment's skiff from destruction in the Shadow Fold, it is revealed that Alina is actually a Grisha, one of the upper echelon of society who have magical abilities. Not only is Alina a Grisha, but she is the long-awaited Sun Summoner - the one who can remove the Shadow Fold.

Reading the novel was, as I read it, fascinated by the story and the characters. Everything kept me pulled in and I could not put the book down.

Looking back on the novel, there were two major issues for me that would keep me from buying this or rereading it. The first was the unmasked use of Russian culture; the second, the lack of character development.

First, the novel is set in Ravka, which is practically a fictional version of Tsarist Russia. A building is described as having onion domes (a distinctly Eastern European and Asian trait often seen in Russian architecture); characters fear being sent off to a Siberia-esque area called Tsibeya, where people live in work and prison camps; and a shadowy priest hides beside the throne, echoing Rasputin, the monk who befriended Nicholas II and Alexandra. Not only this (and these are only the ones that come to mind), but the names of characters are all incredibly Russian. Take the main character, for instance. Alina Starkov is a Russian name - with the one exception that, if it were truly in Russian, her last name would be Starvoka or Starkovna. This use of Russian culture is so obvious that I can replace Ravka with Russia and the story still makes sense (although the story becomes a strange historical fiction/fantasy amalgam).

Second, the characters are not fully formed. All I really know about Alina is who she is in relation to other characters in the story. There is not a moment where I can fully define Alina as a solid person, her own woman. Instead, she spends the novel divided by her need to help her people and her love for two different men, who are just as caricatured as she is. Her childhood friend, Mal, is the "nice guy" - always there for her, lovable even though he sleeps around, and the best tracker in Ravka. The Darkling is the dark, mysterious "bad guy" - practically Kylo Ren with a little Mr. Rochester thrown in. Neither of their relationships with Alina is defined enough for me to either get to know them or to really care about them as people.

Overall, I would suggest this novel for people who want a quick, fun read, but aren't interested in a deep, thought-provoking read. Excellent beach reading.

Landline

Rainbow Rowell

Georgie and Neal's marriage is falling to pieces - and it couldn't happen at a worse time, since it's both Christmas and the chance for Georgie's tv show to be picked up by a network. As Neal and their two daughters head off to Nebraska for Christmas without her, Georgie discovers a link to Neal in the past - and her actions might affect what happens with their relationship in the present.

I really loved the use of time travel here - it wasn't actual time travel, but vocal time travel through a telephone. And Georgie was incredibly aware of the repercussions of time travel - there were plenty of sci-fi references to show that she was definitely a nerdy teen growing up. What I enjoyed the most here (and what I found sadly lacking from the first novel) was the character dynamics - between Georgie and Neal, and between Georgie and Seth, her best friend from college. I actually felt chemistry between these characters - they came off of the page and seemed like real, breathing people to me. And for fans of Rowell's novel Fangirl, there's an appearance by some of the novel's characters (I won't say where - I don't want to ruin the surprise!).

I really enjoyed reading Landline - I would recommend it, and any of Rowell's other works, to people looking for strong narrative style and intriguing plots.

Have any thoughts on these books? Ideas on how to improve my reviewing style? Leave me a comment below!