h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, dear Diary, at last I can unburden myself of the day's cares in thy secret and sometimes tear-stained pages .
Heavy was my heart when at dawn I trekked to work, after a nigh broken sleep and darkest worries.
Meeting my fellow human beings hastening toilwards did cheer me up a bit. I was just in time, so little opportunity to mope before facing my delightful first-years, who as usual were ready to be amused as well as instructed. I couldn't disappoint and thus we launched into a study of the rise of capitalism , courtesy of Melvyn Bragg and the BBC, which we commented on freely. Some learned allusions gave me the opportunity to discover that the darlings knew no British novelist outside the 20th century. We digressed on the subject of utopias and dystopias and only after much prodding did Gulliver come up. Asked about Scotland's literary lions, they were speechless but we eventually unveiled Ivanhoe and Rob Roy.
A quiz next week, and a presentation of the book they would choose as a present to their future boss. Much merriment is expected.

Thus the day went with the second years eager to absorb information about the "culture of claims" and the Schiavo case. Both subjects made more accessible by bags of "chouquettes". It is a truth universally acknowledged that students can think better when they are chewing something. They accordingly chewed while I expounded.

Essential information gathering in the corridors having taken place, and slanderous comments on various colleagues having been exchanged to mutual satisfaction, I then wended my weary way back home.

Would that I could dear Diary lay my sleeping head on my faithless or otherwise pillow. But more work awaits and the midnight oil will burn.

Alas.

One of my classmates told me of a lecture a month or so ago at which the lecturer spotted someone sitting in the back row eating a sandwich. He apparently bellowed at him: "YOU! The grinning monykey in the yellow hat. Down here NOW!" then spent five minutes shredding him in front of the class (approx. 200 - Scots Shystery is a popular subject. We therefore get lectured to. Teaching is another matter entirely).

I would much prefer to be taught by you Martine.

So your students have heard of Rob Roy and Ivanhoe, have they? I haven't read that much Scott - he tells a good story, but the 120 pages used on the preliminaries are a bit of a drag, and I tend to nod off over by the stage of the thide preface to the fourth introduction of the 1812 edition, anent the sayings of Jedediah Cleishbotham.

I suppose thaty a rule of thumb would be - if it made a good opera, the book's probably worth a read.

Your students won't have heard of Smollett or Galt or Hogg, then. More's the pity. Smollett all but invented the modern English novel, and Galt and Hogg made a demme good go at subverting it. Smollett travelled in France and wrote a travel journal - I've got a copy but I ain't read it (yet).

I love "Scots Shystery". I have been telling my students that the whole British empire was the creation of sturdy upstanding Scots, Presbyterians to boot.

I don't see why students can't eat during lectures, if they are not interactive. Some of them might have no time otherwise. Mine are never without nibbles. The mother in me knows they need the extra energy.

Could we have Sue's journal as well?

Re Scott, I don't read the prefaces to the Introductions,etc. But Waverley, Rob Roy and the rest are strictly for long holidays. Have you read Sayers' Five Red Herrings. She writes in what passes for Scottish dialect and it's a bit tiresome.

Is the area she describes (Kirkcudbright)beautiful enough to attract all those painters or did she make it up?

Love to both of you

Not Douglas or Sue, but have read the book and visited the coast. I Would say that Kirkudbright is rather pretty, in a soft rather than granite rugged way, has lovely quality of light and more importantly a warm enough climate (Gulf Stream?) to be able to sit around drawing or painting for any length of time. Stunning small bays and a curved landscape.

pj

It is a long time since I read Herrings. It appears to be the one DLS LPW Sue and I don't have a current copy of - an omission which will have to be rectified. Sadly, I cannot remember the Scots dialect, and cannot therefore vouchsafe for its accuracy. Kirkcudbricht is however (or at least was) an area renowned for its natural beauty, and DLS must at the very least be deemed to be accurate in this one respect.

A Sue journal is highly unlikely, but I will endeavour...

Douglas

Thanks for the info. We are dreaming of a trip to Scotland and the Sayers is really a good advertisement for the area.