In the latest of our regular ‘Works Loved’ sessions, we will each bring and read from and discuss a text that proved foundational to our research. This might be a poem that convinced us not to drop out as an undergraduate, a novel that suggested we might need to do an MA to understand it, or an essay that launched the idea of doctoral study. Academia can often feel overwhelming, with multiple pressures competing for our time and headspace. This seminar is about remembering why we got into this business in the first place – namely, the ‘love’ (and we can discuss this term) we feel for the books, poems, and ideas that make up our discipline.
There’s no advance reading this week – just come along with your chosen text, and be ready to read from it, tell us why it matters to you, and discuss it and other texts. All varieties of text are welcome – if yours isn’t something you can easily read from, just come and tell us about it instead.
Reading:
No advance reading – just bring along your chosen texts.
Time & Place:
- 13:30-14:30, Wed 3 Jul 2019
- Arts 247 (Dorothy’s office)
About the Doctoral Seminar:
This is an informal weekly reading group run for postgraduates within the Department of English Literature. We select a short text to read in advance, often a work of theory, then meet to discuss it. The seminar provides an opportunity to consider aspects of the reading that were thought-provoking or challenging for you, think about how it relates to texts you may have studied or plan to read, and share aspects of your own research and academic practice. It’s also a chance to get together, try out ideas, and meet fellow postgraduate researchers. There will be tea, coffee and biscuits and you are very welcome!
For access to readings, please email Dorothy Butchard (d.butchard@bham.ac.uk).