writingwomen

Julie's entry

I thoroughly enjoyed the other two presentations on Wednesday, as they were very informative. I applaud Queen Elisabeth I for her compassion and strength to stand up for her beliefs. And as for Anne Askew, well I guess that I already touched a bit on her. One author however, that we never covered in class was Jane Anger and I couldn't resist, I had to blog on her because she had such powerful insights into the relationship of men and women, and to me her opinion is unbelievable, considering the time frame that she was situated in. Anger's surname is definitely appropriate for her because of her strong feminist opinions against men and her "Anger" towards them. She argues that men are foul and "rob women of their honor undeservedlye under their noses" (p.10). As an aggressive feminist who is determined to portray her opinion on man's relationship with women, I find her very intriguing and amusing. In Her Protection for Women, Anger puts forth the idea that suggests that men are evil sexual beings. She argues that, "if we totter they will never leave til they have overturned us" (p.7). I would definitely advise the reading of this article when devastated because of a man, as it would brighten up ones heart to see the compassion and strength that Anger has to define herself in such a way. "Girl Power!" She asserts her belief that men are untrustworthy sexual beings like hawks that prey upon the dainties of women that therefore draw a man into a woman. She argues that men "are ravished with the delight of those dainties, which allure and draw the senses of them to serve us, whereby they become ravenous haukes who doe not onely seize upon us, but devour us" (p.9). I really enjoyed reading this article because of Anger's indomitable power her radical feminism. She not only triggers our attention, but draws us under her wing to fully express her opinion on the ruthlessness of manhood.

Witches; clothing

Further to our discussion of Anne Askew, here is a woodcut of a witch being hanged in the late 17thc:

Hanging of Bridget Bishop (1692)

What I find particularly interesting here—apart from the witch hunts themselves—is the way that executions in general were commodified for popular consumption by being illustrated and circulated. The authorities approved this dynamic as they felt that executions set a dire example of the results of transgression, and so kept people in line. But it got away from them: people were interested in executions on their own terms: as sensationalistic entertainment, as social criticism. Some of the people seeing this illustration would have thought, "How dreadful! Thank goodness they caught her!" but others would have read it as an example of abuse of power by the state.

On a lighter note, here are some links to pages with scads of sites about historical costumes, some academic, some from hobbyists:

Costuming Resources Online (Warning: some old links here, which can be frustrating. But lots of interesting material, too)

Costume History at The Costumer's Manifesto

And here is a woodcut from what is reportedly "the first edition of the first book devoted to women's dress":

At the top and bottom of each woodcut is a verse, in German, which explains the illustration. Can you imagine that in Vogue?

Here is the latest from Prada:
A cunning bustier which cries, "Aha"!
Comes in yellow or green,
Sizes two to fourteen:
I must have it! Or I will wear nada!

Susan Holden's Entries

January 14, 2004

I must say I love learning about the women that had to struggle so that the rest of us can today be educated and in some regards are on our way to being liberated. In January 14th’s class I was really surprised to find out that becoming a nun was a way to escape oppression for some women at this time. I was always under the assumption that the nunnery was where women had to go if they were not married. It was surprising to find out that some women actually wanted to become nuns to have some freedom. Another fact that came up was the burning of witches; I had no idea this was linked to women that were practicing herbal medicine. It seemed to me like men were afraid that women would out do them in the medical profession and the easiest way to stop them was to burn them for witchcraft.

January 21, 2004

I have to be honest, I found Margery Kempe extremely hard to read however, I did find her life interesting. Whether she was really talking to God or not we will never know but, the fact that she stayed alive as long as she did without being killed for her behaviour has me believing that perhaps there was a higher power watching over for her.

January 28, 2004

Today’s class was really interesting. I thought all three presentations were very informative. I was surprised to find Queen Elizabeth I in our readings at the first of the semester, although now I am not sure why I was surprised. She was really bold for her time although she could probably get away with more because she was the Queen of England. I really admired the fact that she stood up for herself and would not be forced into marriage. Another female writer that we didn’t get a chance to look at in class was Jane Anger. Her name definitely suits her well, and I think she must somehow be related to Andrea Dworkin. She must be her Great Great Great Great Grandmother or something. I can’t believe how radical Jane is for her time. In Her Protection for Women she wants men to be held accountable for their indiscretions in life. She asks a very important question that is “Was there ever any so abused, so slaudered, so railed upon, so wickedly handled undeservedly, as are women?” (Anger, 5)?. I thought this was an excellent question because it seems like from the beginning of time women have always been blamed for men’s bad behaviour. Eve is the most obvious example of this but women for centuries in literature have been portrayed as evil. It has always been a struggle for women to be recognized in the same light as men. Anger goes further in Her Protection for Women to discuss how men are in many ways evil sexual beings: “ mens tongues sting against nature, and therefore are unnaturall” (14)?. She definitely thinks that men are despicable unfaithful creatures (Anger, 15)?. I really enjoyed this reading because she raised a lot of questions about men being untrustworthy sexual beings. She was truly a radical feminist ahead of her time that decided to write about her personal feeling on men.

Schedule updated

The schedule now contains, with one exception, all the readings for the term.

Blogging is Fun

This will be my first attempt at blogging and already I feel like a technological wizard...compared to my usual relationship with my computer. Before this class I had no idea what a blog was but now that I am enlightened I think I am going to enjoy it. It almost feels like I'm writing a really intellectual e-mail...where I have to watch my spelling and discuss some really indepth subjects...or attempt to atleast. I have finished reading the material for todays class. These women are pretty incredible! I am shocked by the persecution of Anne Askew by the Catholic community. I am not very familiar with the struggles which have occured over the subject of religion, so I found Anne's imprisonment and death over such apparently trivial differences of religious opinion to be almost unbelievable. Today, the concept of freedom of speech and opinion is so ingrained that it is hard to imagine a past where someone is put to death for their personal beliefs. Anne Askew appeared to be a humble woman whose only fault was to stand up for her rights to retain her own opinions concerning some aspects of the Catholic religion. She did not flamboyantly voice her opinions but stood firmly when asked to conform to the Catholic beliefs. I found this quote particularly disturbing:
"she might have lived in great wealth and prosperity, if she would rather have followed the world than Christ"
This quote sugests that Anne would have been spared if it weren't for her devotion and faith in God, an admirable quality which should have been recognized as such by the Catholic church. Instead, Anne's failure to deny her faith and conform to "the world" lead to her death. The text describes the torture which Anne endured and the final chance she was given to renounce her faith before being burned at the stake. I cannot imagine such a dilemna occuring today with an outcome of such bravery. OOPS...I have to go to class now!

first blog

I've been slowly making my way through this week's readings and I'm amazed at the writings. I was quite amazed by Anne Askew's ballad. It surprised me just how much she believes in God and that he will always be there to protect her. Her belief surprised me because of how much religion has been taken out of our lives. We don't have the religious faith that we once had. Religion has been taken out of much of our lives and it's hard to see why someone could be that devoted.
When I was reading Queen Elizabeth I's poem it took me by surprise. I never thought of she as a writer. All I have know her as was a very powerful English ruler. It was nice to see a different side to her. I really enjoyed the poem because I know how she was feeling. Sometimes you are feel something but are forced to show something else.

Kempe as bourgeois

Something I had hoped to get to in class but didn’t: several of the essays included in our text address the issue of Margery’s social class, and read her avoidance of the role of the traditional, retiring religious woman within the context of the rise of the bourgeoisie and their fledgling attempts to forge a new identity separate from the existing aristocratic and clerical models. She wanted to remain actively in the world, not to withdraw, just as the rising middle class was actively forging its own role, materially, socially and culturally. This interpretation is of course heavily inflected by gender: Margery was a wife and mother, and so the option of religious retirement, either as a nun or an anchorite, was not open to her. Her book can be read as a description of how a late-medieval “good wife” created her own spiritual identity, separate from existing patterns.

Anyway. On to the Renaissance!

The Book of Margery Kempe

The Book of Margery Kempe falls into the genre of “ pilgrimage fiction” the most famous of which is Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Kempe uses her pilgrimage tale to express her faith in Christ. Through the ‘tools’ of the journey and a series of visions she also manages to emphasize the feminine perspective on Christian spirituality. Kempe’s vision of the mother of Christ shortly before his death is a clear expression of female spirituality, and empowerment in heaven:
“A blessed mother, be of a good cheer and of a good comfort, for I have told you full often that I must needs suffer death, otherwise no man should be saved nor ever come into bliss. And mother, it is my father’s will that it e so, and therefore I pray you let it be your will also, for my death shall turn me to great worship and bring you and all mankind to great joy and profit, whomever trusts in my passion and works thereafter. And therefor blessed other, you must abide here after me, for in you shall rest all the faith of Holy Church, and by your faith Holy Church shall increase in faith....I shall send my holy angels to comfort you on earth; and I shall comfort you in your soul my own self, for, mother, you know well I have promised you the bliss of heaven and that you are sure thereof. A, worthy mother, what would you better than where I am king you be queen, and all angels and saints shall be buxom to your will?”
(Kempe, 137).
Kempe has Christ empower his mother as not only a guardian of the church but also a queen beside him in the kingdom of heaven. Kempe is cleverly using the religious stories as a basis for her own (perhaps unconscious) perceptions of women’s place within the religious scheme. By constructing Mary as the guardian of the church , the church would have a hard time refuting these claims without looking stupid themselves, and could therefore not accuse Margery of heresy. Also Kempe has Mary become queen beside Christ in the kingdom of heaven, presumably as equals, not as a servant to him. Kempe uses the religious pilgrimage, to place a feminist spin on patriarcle assumptions of a male dominated heaven

Kempe

Since class on Wednesday, I've been pondering over the idea that perhaps Kempe really may have had more to do with writing her novel than she ever let on...I guess that it will always be uncertain and questionable, but at the same time, it provides us with an interesting twist, one in which could very well be believable. I'm sorry, but even though I am aware of the courage and passion that she has to stand up to the authoritative figures in her period, the insistent crying, sobbing and weeping, really gets on my nerves. It is just way too much, when it appears page after page. She was totally hysterical and fixated on the passion of Christ, I don't know...I just feel that she should have wept and sobbed during her time spent alone, instead of in public for everyone around her to witness. In response to Melissa's blog, I do agree with her in that even though her hysterical moments seem to be overbearing, she should be admired for her determination and success. If she was really the author of her own novel, then she really did in the end achieve a goal, and should therefore be praised for her accomplishment.

Seven and counting...

New blogs set up by Courtenay and Melissa, and a web page by Anette.

Schedule updated

I have added links for the readings for the next two weeks to the course schedule.

Blogging is good for you

Here, by a circuitous route (a review of the book Art and Fear from Kevin Kelly's blog, via Chris Corrigan's Parking Lot), is a fable for young bloggers:

The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality. His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the "quantity" group: fifty pound of pots rated an "A", forty pounds a "B", and so on. Those being graded on "quality," however, needed to produce only one pot -albeit a perfect one - to get an "A". Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the "quantity" group was busily churning out piles of work - and learning from their mistakes - the "quality" group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.

Kempe

Well this is my first blog. Not quite sure what to write about.
I have been reading the The Book Of Margery Kempe for class and finding it interesting (at times). I was particularly fascinated by the endorsed sexual repression as a reoccurring theme in the book. It was interesting to note how Kempe buys into the stereotype that women should not be sexual, and men cannot help it. At the same time Kempe breaks her role as wife by attempting to not be obedient to her husband and do "her marital duty". Is Kempe being a slightly feminist at times through her repression ???
Although Kempe as a feminist within her marriage is defiantly very questionable ,her faith is remarkable. Many passages seem to be alluding to Joan of Arc or biblical females. Kempe defiantly breaks her role of silent worshiper and speaks freely about her faith and even councils the way a priest might.

Well if I go on any further I fear I may just start to babble on.
Stef

Julian Norwich

Norwich used writing to display her ideas on religion and what spirituality meant to her and her people. Norwich succeeded so well in describing ‘holy’ ideologies that she became known as a Christian Mystic or wise women, on close to equal footing with many of the parish priests:
God also showed that sin would be no shame but an honour to man, for just as for every sin there is an answering pain in reality, so for every sin bliss is given to the same soul. Just as different sins are punished by different pains according to their seriousness, so shall they be rewarded by different joys in heaven according to the pain and sorrow they have caused the soul on earth. For the soul that shall come to heaven is so precious to God, and the place itself so glorious, that the goodness of God never allows the soul which will come there to sin without giving it a reward for suffering that sin. The sin suffered is made known without end, and the soul is blissfully restored by exceeding glories.
(Norwich, Julian)
Norwich was sought out by many individuals seeking spiritual guidance and even physical healing. Norwich’s induction as a respectable spiritual guide was unprecedented in her era, and her writings about the feminine properties of God, allowed her to be a spiritual being instead of the vessel for original sin:
To motherhood as properties belong natural love, wisdom and knowledge - and this is God. For though it is true that our bodily bringing forth is very little, low, and simple compared to our spiritual bringing forth, yet it is he who does the mothering in the creatures by whom it is done...The natural loving mother, who recognises and knows the need of her child, takes care of it most tenderly, as the nature and condition of motherhood will do. And continually, as the child grows in age and size, she changes what she does, but not her love. When the child has grown older, she allows it to be punished, breaking down vices to enable the child to receive virtues and grace...This work, with all that is fair and good, our Lord does in those by whom it is done. Thus he is our mother in nature, by the working of grace in the lower part of love for the higher. And he wills that we know it, for he wills to have all our love fastened to him..In this I saw that all the debts we owe, by God's command, to fatherhood and motherhood by reason of God's fatherhood and motherhood, are repaid in the true loving of God. This blessed love Christ works in us. And this was showed in everything, especially in the noble, plenteous words, where he says, 'I am what you love.
(Norwich, Julian)
Norwich used the religious system to address the feminine aspects of God. Norwich was very courageous for attempting to write about the Lord in this time because many people were being burned or hung as heretics. Norwich’s writing was powerful, and true enough that the clergy could not deny her idealogy’s authenticity.

A ha....

I want to thank you Dr. Jones for your patience with me. I am usually not that stupid when it comes to computers and the net, but I just have to get used to this Unbsj system. Finally, with your help, I found the Web-page manual. Thank you.

A.R.N.

I think that I finally know what I'm doing...

Hey everyone, I think that I finally may know what I'm doing on here, although I'm still a bit skeptical, but I think that I got it. I am thinking about setting up my own blog, but for now I think that I'll just stick to the course blog! Well since I'm just getting up and ooing, I think that I'll just keep it short for now, but I'll be back on to submit a blog for this week on the novel that we are studying.

Heteroglossia

Re. Vanessa's post, immediately below: Bakhtin's notion of heteroglossia is a fruitful way to approach many texts, and you are right, Vanessa, that it is particularly useful when approaching women's texts. I like the idea of texts having multiple voices in dialoque with each other; it provides a clear framework for untangling different threads that may seem incompatible. For class on Wednesday, perhaps we could all think about identifying some of the multiple voices in Margery's Kempe's book?

(And thankyou, Dr. Moore.)

Something to Consider

Hi all

Well i was doing my readings for American fiction and Dr. Moore gave us a hand out to go along with a couple of the feminist texts we were reading. One ot the hand outs was called " the implications of the Bakhtinian narrative strategy". One of the things that caught my attention about the article was its mention of the importance of voice when looking at women's texts. It introduced the ideo of the heteroglossia which explores the discourse between characters. Heteroglosia includes " two major forms of discourse. dominant verses subversive modes of discourse: language as power." I thought this was a thought to keep in mind specifically while reading The Book of Margery Kempe.

I think I finally got it...

Ready... set... BLOG!!! For something so seemingly easy, I sure had lots of problems getting started with this. I know computers are supposed to be these marvelous machines, and our friends (yah right), but man, does mine ever hate me. After much debating and compromise, an agreement was eventually made between my computer and myself, in which it will allow me to finally blog, and do so on a regular basis, and I must forfit my first-born child......

I have decided not to push my luck with this first blog, so I will keep it short and sweet and write more on the readings and class in my next entry. I'm also considering starting my own blog, but that will involve re-evaluting my aforementioned agreement with my computer, and that could take some time.

Just the thought of what I might have to forfit in order to have my own blog scares me. In fact, just thinking of it is giving me... dare I say it... A RASH!!!!!!!!

Five blogs and counting...

Jessica and Anette join Christina, Kathryn, and Kristin in the blogosphere.

Webpage How to's

I have posted a PDF file, called "Four ways to set up your own webpage," that you can download from WebCT/Homepage/Resources. (There is also a copy of the "how to blog" document there, the one I handed out in class.)

Post any questions here.

I started my work on Margery Kemp. I was originally going to title my presentation, "Margie Kemp: Mystic or Madwoman?", but after talking to Amanda (who's going to present next week as well, and plans to discuss the whole Medieval Mysticism thing)AND after considering that there's not much doubt as to the answer (May I NOT burn in hell for suggesting that Margery could have benefitted from some seratonin-levelling drugs), I've decided instead to take our class on a little pilgrimage. During my brief presentation - I guess we're only supposed to keep these talks brief so we'll have to journey via our imaginations and not actually leave the classroom - we'll travel through Margery's life and make some brief stops, highlighting specific experiences,places or people along the way...kind of like a "Magic School Bus" tour except we're grown ups, and we won't have a bus, and I'm no miss Frizzel, and, well actually, by the sounds of things, it's not a LOT like the Magic School bus afterall, but I think it will be fun anyway.

...Something I wondered while reading "The Book of Margery Kemp":

Margery speaks directly and unguardedly about her opinions regarding the clergy. Sometimes these opinions are controversial for her time. For example, she openly criticises specific clergy members for not supporting her. She also puts forward the case that the clergy members may be poor, but at least they have prestige and honor, while she, despised and hated, as well as poor, holds a higher place in God's eyes because she suffers more. Given these kinds of anti-clergy sentiments, I find it surprising that a clergy person records the story of her life as dictated by her. Afterall, the scribe was just the messenger and he could have garbled or changed the message. He had the motive and the opportunity! That he doesn't do this speaks to the fact that Margery did have her supporters. ...Another interesting thought, completely along the same lines - the original autobiography, written first by another scribe was illegible, the translation we read is from a second attempt to capture the same information. I have to wonder, was the initial scribe inept or was he just covering his butt?

I enjoyed reading Margery Kemp. While her methods and reasoning can be alienating, her courage to live the life she believes she is meant to live is unwavering. Margery is refreshingly honest and unabashed. I admire her simplicity and conviction, her passion and her heartfelt desire to do the right thing.

Tips

Folks, when making entries, be sure to switch the post status (button below) from "draft," which is the default, to "publish."

Finally here....

Ohhhh, finally I got my course blog to work. I am a Danish exchange student so I am not used to this blogging thing. But now it seems to work, right? See you later.
A.R.N

Julian of Norwich

Well i have to say i found this text, umm.. boring. I am not a big fan of religious writings, and norwich seems very 'devoted'. I thought she was a fairly decent writer though. Her style was interesting and her texts we well written but alas not my cup of tea.

Kim Staffons "The Wife's Lament"

Reading this story i was wondering if maybe the seperation between the lovers was symbollic of the seperation of the gender roles. I may be stretching a bit but i think that maybe Kim was going for the sea keeping the characters apart just like society and stuff keeps the gender roles apart. In Kim's time period it must have seemed like the gender roles were as fixed as the sea itself. Unmovable and unchangable. I think the lamenting is Saffron's desire to allow women to be educated and to write. From Saffrons perspective that would allow the two gender roles to meanfully communicate, and to co exist on equal ground instead of being seperated by the 'sea' of uneducation and gender constraints.

lament

“The wife’s lament” is a really moving poem. It is interesting to note that this piece does not have a name on it, but is presumed to be written by a woman. I believe this piece is written by a woman mostly because of the beginning where the writer proclaims she will speak her “plights tail”. As a woman she is forced to give an excuse for writing this poem.
This poem gave a much different picture than I have previously had of marriage/relationships at this time. There appears to be true emotion despite the fact that this marriage appears to have been forced, or bought, or won etc …..There seems to be friendship and mutual animosity between the couple versus mere functionality. I do not know a great deal about this period, but what I have seen this poem appears to be fairly unique.
Although “The wife’s lament” was written so long ago and in middle English and has been translated it has defiantly gone across the barriers of time and expresses the degree of emotion as it did in it s original form and time period.

First Class

I know this a rather late entry but hey better late than never:) I really enjoyed the first class. I think the use of the net, and computers is actually a really refreshing difference from the usual write and essay blah blah blah. I am looking forward to doing a webpage even i though i havent two sweet clues what i am doing. Wohoo! i think it is a really interesting opportunity for discussion and stuff. Well that is all for now i suppose
ttfn

Useful shortly...

Ran across a link that may help provide some context for our discussions of 16th–century writers in a couple of weeks:

A Whirlwind Tour of the Protestant Reformation

Reprieve!

Just came back from the bookstore, where they now have a full shelf of shining copies of The Book of Margery Kempe. Norton is such a good company; Julie Godin in the bookstore told them that we needed the book pronto, so as soon as it came in they flew us a package.

What service! That, and their excellent editions, and the fact that they are a cooperative, puts them at the top of my list.

Kristin's blog

I just read "The Wife's Lament". I absolutely loved this poem. I could actually feel the loneliness that the woman was experiencing in this poem because it was so well written. I loved how the setting was described in point form and was still imaginable. I can still picture the cave that she lived in in my mind.
The poem gives the readers the sense of the roles men and women were suppost to take on when this poem was written. The woman in this poem was clearly distraught about her husbands exile, however, the husband is described as not showing his sadness on the outside but feeling the sadness inside. I think this is probably because women were expected to show their emotions and men were not suppost to show their emotions in this time period...(I guess in some respects that has still not changed completely today.) I would love to hear your opinions on this last thought. Have a good weekend.
Kristin

Yay! New blogs!

Two of you have already set up your blogs (addresses on the left), though I must say, so far you are being pretty restrained with your names. I was expecting things like "Sonic Girl Speaks" or "Bunchastuff."

(There are some hilarious blog names out there. Some of my favourite titles: "Die, Puny Humans!," "My Boyfriend is a Twat" (she actually seems to like her boyfriend a lot), "godofthemachine," "long story; short pier," "Lying Media Bastards," "Bookslut," and my most favourite, "Alas, a blog.")

Readings for next week

I've updated the on-line syllabus to reflect the one I handed out in class; if anyone has been going by the on-line version, check the update. And don't forget that Marie de France's "Lanval" was previously left off the list; a link has now been added.

Sites about medieval women

Here are a couple of sites I ran across today:

This one is pretty graphic-intensive; I wouldn't try to access it over a modem:

Medieval women from McMaster U

You may also want to check out:

Sybils: also from McMaster
Medieval Women Websites: reviews and links
The Labyrinth: Resources for Medieval Studies

January 14 Readings

I just finished the readings for next week, and I must say it was very entertaining stuff. I have not read much literature from the Anglo Saxon and Medieval period so it was a bit of an eye opener. When I read "The Wife's Lament", I instantly noticed the element of devotion and loyalty in the character. It was a very sad poem and the emptiness of the character without her lover was easily understood, but the feeling of loyalty she held towards him never faded. As I continued on into the other suggested material I began to see that a quality all of the female writers and characters in these stories, and excerpts, seemed to share, and be connected by, was thier strong devotion. Devotion towards all things ranging from life, love and religion as Julian of Norwich's work and life story certainly displayed.
Of all the imformation brought about in the readings, I found Julian of Norwich's personal history and literay works to be the most intriguing. I cannot bring myself to give up beer and nachos to lose a couple pounds, but this woman had the strenght to lock herself in a single cell and devote her entire life to god. All personal opinions aside, that is a very impressive achievement. Devotion and loyalty of that magnitude is not so easy to come by, then or now. Her faith was unquestionable as is proven in the third chapter in the "Book of Showings", where she even attributes her severe illness as being placed upon her by God and accepted it without question.
Julian of Norwich's thoughts in "God our Mother" were also very interesting and powerful. Her devotion to religion is so strong, yet she has a unique perspective in associating the holy trinity with the family format she was most likely raised to respect. Describing God as the Father, and Jesus as the Mother is her way, as she see's herself entirely as a child of God, of establishing a picture of the authority God has over her.
Well this is my first "blog" so I'm not sure if I have done to much or to little, so let me know if you agree or disagree with me, but try to be gentle.
Patrick

First class; Margery Kempe; Marie de France

A lively first class; looks like a great group. And no-one fainted when I talked about blogging. In fact, the first blog has been created; look to the right for the link.

The bad news is, I just had an email from the Bookstore telling me that the Margery Kempe book won't be in until "late next week." We can talk about this in class next week—who knows, it might even get here early—but we may have to go with some on-line excerpts instead of the book. If so, it's too bad: the Norton is a nice edition, with lots of helpful additional material.

I'm working on a model web page for Marie de France. Hope to post it soon(ish).

On John Knox

"first Blast"

Well i remember how much this article angered me. It was the one where Knox said that to be ruled by women was to be ruled by satan. He stated that women must be supressed by men because we were inherently evil. He justifies his position by using classical references such as Aristotle.
He speaks about the amazon society as being filled with pride, and vanity because it is ruled by women. He talked extensively about the how currupt society would become if women ruled.
So my response to that was obviously a very 21century one. At first i was annoyed and then i moved on laugh at him, because a lot of the things he said were ridiculous. It reminded me of a story i heard from a friend of mine:
If women ruled the world:
girl leader: " Oh you know why you were being bombed"
Male leader: "No, i really don't"
Girl leader: "Well if you dont know, I'm not going to tell you :P "

Knox seems to thing that women will be like that if we ruled the world. I doubt it but hey everyone is entitled to thier own opinion:)

Countdown

First day of class tomorrow. The enrolment is really rising; all fall there were fifteen or so enrolled, and now we're up to 23! I'm very excited about this course; it's the first time I will be teaching it, and many of these texts. As some of you know, my area is 18th-century literature, so by the end of term we will be in familiar territory (for me, at least). But for the first weeks of the course we will be discussing less familiar texts, some of which I haven't read since my major comphrehensive exam in women's writing in graduate school. I am looking forward to revisiting them.