One Paper to Go.

...then I'll be blogging more.

March Academic Madness once again

Sorry for the scarcity of posts lately. I am in the final weeks of this semester, and am focused on studies. I'll be back the end of the month, unless something really wild compels me to post.

Surviving Mid-Term Week.

Sorry for the scarcity of posts lately. The birthday celebration weekend put me behind a bit in homework and study. I will have a forthcoming post telling you all about the birthday bash, but I have a lot of reading to do in the next couple of days so unfortunately it must still wait. This past week was mid-term week. I had 2 assignments due and two exams to study for. And now I have a cold, which isn't helping my concentration level. UGH! Thank you for your patience and I will post in the next couple of days.
Blessings to all to visit here.

Medieval helpdesk

Too funny for words. The difficulties in the evolution of reading materials. From the roll/scroll to the codex(book).

Enjoy!

Early book collectors...my inspriation and heros.

My reading schedule this terms is absolutely crazy which will make my posting rather few and far between I'm afraid. So, every once and a while I'm going to post something interesting I come across in my readings. Hopefully this won't bore too many of you.

With my love for collecting books this quote from An Introduction to Manuscript Studies by Raymond Clemens & Timothy Graham really tickled my fancy.

The Italian humanist Petrarca (1304-74) ..."was inspired by his love of the classics to become a tireless collector, seeking out texts wherever he could find them and adding them to his personal collection. He called upon his frinds to help him in the task. On one occasion (perhaps in 1346) he wrote to the Dominican friar Giovanni dell'Incisa:

I am still in thrall of one insatiable desire, which hitherto I have been neither able nor willing to check.....I cannot get enough books. It may be that I have already more than I need, but it is with books as it is with other things: success in acquisition spurs the desire to get still more...Books delight us through and through, they talk with us, hey give us good counsel, they enter into a living and intimate companionship with us...Now do you, as you hold me dear, commission turstworthy and competent men to go through Tuscany for me, examining the book-chests of the religious and of other studious men, searching for things that might serve to alleviate or to increase my thirst. And although you know in what streams I fish and in what woods I hunt, nevertheless, to avoid error I enclose a list of the things I chiefly desire; and that you may be the more eager, let me tell you that my sending similar request to friends in Britain, France, and Spain. So then, in order that none may surpass you in faithfulness and diligence, do your best - and fairewell." (pg 63 of above noted test)

What a delightful man Petrarca was. I must investigate him further.

A New Term has begun...

...with Latin of course. I am continuing my Latin studies with adventures in translating readings from the fall of the Roman Republic. Despite my early poor exams results the beginning of last term, I managed a final grade of B+, not the A- I was really hoping for at the least, but as everyone keeps telling me, a B+ is still a good grade. Well, I guess, but not when one is shooting for the A, which I did manage in my other two classes.

This term, in addition to Latin I am continuing my writing course with the two remaining genres of Fiction and Drama. Fiction will be first, which is quite exciting as that is where I want to focus in the future. The third course is a Introduction to Medieval Manuscript Studies. Very exciting.