Distance learning, huh?

Bibliography

2014-05-10T21:46:00.000+02:00

Beloved Reader,

What follows is the incomplete bibliography of the secondary texts that I have studied for the level 5 courses. Copying the list here I saw just how incomplete it is... I have, in fact, read many many more texts than the ones listed here. Maybe one day I will complete the bibliography.

Sincerely Yours,

Kris

General Subject Reading

Texts

Blamires, Harry. A Short History of English Literature. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 1984. Questia. Web. 29 July 2013. <http://www.questia.com/read/103493664/a-short-history-of-english-literature>.
Mendelson, Sara, and Patricia Crawford. Women in Early Modern England, 1550-1720. Oxford: Clarendon, 1998. Questia. Web. 21 Aug. 2013. <http://www.questia.com/read/9827708/women-in-early-modern-england-1550-1720>

Other Media

The Time Travellers Guide to Elizabethan England 1x01 - The Common People. Perf. Ian Mortimer. BBC, 2013. Youtube. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFNCFMT6Tas>.
The Time Travellers Guide to Elizabethan England 1x02 - The Rich. Perf. Ian Mortimer. BBC, 2013. Youtube. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As8JLv0hhx0>.
The Time Travellers Guide to Elizabethan England 1x03 - Brave New World. Perf. Ian Mortimer. BBC, 2013. Youtube. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glFjtaGoHd0>.
"The Victorians (2009) Home Sweet Home." YouTube, 05 Jan. 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9qdHoQyhfo>.
"Turn Back Time: The Family (Edwardian)." YouTube, 27 Apr. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPKD6Bdl4rE>.

Renaissance and Restoration

Christopher Marlowe, ‘Doctor Faustus’

Primary Literature

Marlowe, Christopher. The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. Ed. Ramji Lall. 33rd ed. Delhi: Rama Brothers, 2006. Print.

Secondary Literature

Davidson, Clifford. “Doctor Faustus at Rome." Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 9.2 (1969): 231-239. JSTOR. Web. 03 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/449777>.
Davidson, Clifford. “Doctor Faustus of Wittenberg." Studies in Philology 59.3 (1962): 514-523. JSTOR. Web. 03 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/4173389>.
Hawkins, Sherman. “The Education of Faustus.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 6.2 (1966): 193-209. JSTOR. Web. 07 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/449632>.
Kiessling, Nicolas. “Doctor Faustus and the Sin of Demoniality.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 15.2 (1975): 205-211. JSTOR. Web. 07 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/449667>.
McAlindon, T. “Classical Mythology and Christian Tradition in Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus.” PMLA 81.3 (1966): 214-223. JSTOR. Web. 07 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/460807>.
McAlindon, T. “The Ironic Vision: Diction and Theme in Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus.” The Review of English Studies, New Series 32.126 (1981): 129-141. JSTOR. Web. 07 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/514131>.
O’Brien, Margaret Ann. “Christian Belief in Doctor Faustus.” ELH 37.1 (1970): 1-11. JSTOR. Web. 07 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/2872271>.
Smith, Warren D. “The Nature of Evil in “Doctor Faustus”.” The Modern Language Review 60.2 (1965): 171-175. JSTOR. Web. 07 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/3720056>.
Tate, William. “Solomon, Gender, and Empire in Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 37.2 (1997): 257-276. JSTOR. Web. 07 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/450833>.

Other Media

Marlowe, Christopher. Doctor Faustus. Dir. Matthew Dunster. Perf. Arthur Darvill, Paul Hilton. Globe Theatre, 2012. Digital Theatre. Web. 05 Jan. 2014. < http://www.digitaltheatre.com/production/details/doctor-faustus-shakespeares-globe/play>.

William Shakespeare, 'Othello'

Secondary Literature

Adelman, Janet. “Iago’s Alter Ego: Race as Projection in Othello.” Shakespeare Quarterly 48.2 (1997): 125-144. JSTOR. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/2871277>.
Barin, Filiz. “Othello: Turks as “the Other” in the Early Modern Period.” The Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association 43.2 (2010): 37-58. JSTOR. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/41960526>.
Berry, Edward. “Othello’s Alienation.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 30.2 (1990): 315-333. JSTOR. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/450520>.
Braxton, Phyllis Natalie. “Othello: The Moor and the Metaphor.” South Atlantic Review 55.4 (1990): 1-17. JSTOR. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/3200442>.
Neill, Michael. “Unproper Beds: Race, Adultery, and the Hideous in Othello.” Shakespeare Quarterly 40.4 (1989): 383-412. JSTOR. Web. 03 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/2870608>.
Slights, Camille Wells. “Slaves and Subjects in Othello.” Shakespeare Quarterly 48.4 (1997): 377-390. JSTOR. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/2871250>.
Vitkus, Daniel J. “Turning Turk in Othello: The Conversion and Damnation of the Moor.” Shakespeare Quarterly, 48.2 (1997): 145-176. JSTOR. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/2871278>.

Other Media

Othello. Dir. Oliver Parker. Perf. Kenneth Branagh, Laurence Fishburne. 1995. DVD. YouTube. 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYb30t4PNjU>.
Othello. Dir. Stuart Burge. Perf. Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith. BHE Films, 1965. YouTube. Web. 29 Nov. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCJjrx7MH0o>.

William Shakespeare, 'Macbeth'

Secondary Literature

Various articles accessed through JSTOR. Not added to the bibliography yet.

Other Media

Carroll, William. "Macbeth and the Show of Kings." Lecture. Boston University, Boston. 28 Apr. 2005. 30 Mar. 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyFJrxLlJWw>.
Macbeth. Dir. Jack Gold. Perf. Nicol Williamson, Jane Lapotaire and Tony Doyle. BBC, 1983. DVD. YouTube. 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbywWyryftM>.
ShakespeaRe-Told: Macbeth. Perf. James McAvoy, Vincent Regan, Richard Armitage and. BBC, 2005. DVD. YouTube. 12 Dec. 2009. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY3JxKPC0y0&list=PL44AA95B9E1BEEA84>

William Wycherley, ‘The Country Wife’

Primary Literature

Wycherley, William. Love in a Wood; The Gentleman Dancing-Master; The Country Wife; The Plain Dealer. Ed. Peter Dixon. Oxford: Oxford University, 1996. Questia. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. < http://www.questia.com/read/62330421/love-in-a-wood-the-gentleman-dancing-master-the>

Secondary Literature

Background Reading

"The Country Wife." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Sept. 2013. Web. 02 Jan. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Country_Wife>.

Criticism

Bacon, Jon Lance. “Wives, Widows, and Writings in Restoration Comedy.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 31.3 (1991): 427-443. JSTOR. Web. 03 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/450855>.
Corcoran, Kellye. "Cuckoldry as Performance, 1675-1715." Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 52.3 (2012): 543+. Questia. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. < http://www.questia.com/read/1G1-302114872/cuckoldry-as-performance-1675-1715>
Matalene, H. W. “What Happens in The Country Wife." Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 22.3 (1982): 395-411. JSTOR. Web. 03 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/450238>.
Morris, David B. “Language and Honor in “The Country Wife”." South Atlantic Bulletin 37.4 (1972): 3-10. JSTOR. Web. 03 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/3197360>.
Payne, Deborah C. “Reading the Signs in The Country Wife." Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 26.3 (1986): 403-419. JSTOR. Web. 03 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/450570>.
Thompson, James. “Providence and Verbal Irony in ‘The Country Wife’." South Atlantic Review 47.4 (1982): 37-42. JSTOR. Web. 03 Jan. 2014. <www.jstor.org/stable/3199406>.

Other Media

The Country Wife. Dir. Donald McWhinnie. Perf. Helen Mirren. BBC, 1977. Youtube. Web. 22 Dec. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0134shMJOmA&list=WLDF1882679C36DF27>.

Aphra Behn, ‘Oroonoko’

Primary Literature

Behn, Aphra. Oroonoko: An Authoritative Text, Historical Backgrounds, Criticism. Ed. Joanna Lipking. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. Print.

Secondary Literature
Background Reading

Lloyd, Trevor Owen. "Colonies and Distant Monarchs 1558-1649." The British Empire, 1558-1995. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1996. 1-29. Questia. Web. 17 Aug. 2013. <http://www.questia.com/read/27709956/the-british-empire-1558-1995>.
Lloyd, Trevor Owen. "Monarchs and Their Colonies 1649-1714." The British Empire, 1558-1995. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1996. 30-61. Questia. Web. 17 Aug. 2013. <http://www.questia.com/read/27709956/the-british-empire-1558-1995>.
Mendelson, Sara Heller. "Aphra Behn." The Mental World of Stuart Women: Three Studies. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts, 1987. 116-84. Questia. Web. 21 Aug. 2013. <http://www.questia.com/read/54390004/the-mental-world-of-stuart-women-three-studies>.
Rose, J. Holland, Arthur Percival Newton, and Henry Dodwell. "The Colonies After the Restoration, 1660-1713." The Cambridge History of the British Empire;. Ed. E. A. Benians. New York: Macmillan, 1929. 239-47. Questia. Web. 17 Aug. 2013. <http://www.questia.com/read/99040092/the-cambridge-history-of-the-british-empire>.
Sheridan, Richard B. "The Settlement of the Sugar Colonies." Sugar and Slavery; An Economic History of the British West Indies, 1623-1775. Kingston, Jamaica: Canoe, 1974. 75-96. Questia. Web. 16 Aug. 2013. <http://www.questia.com/read/105309368/sugar-and-slavery-an-economic-history-of-the-british>.
Sheridan, Richard B. "Slavery and Sugar." Sugar and Slavery; An Economic History of the British West Indies, 1623-1775. Kingston, Jamaica: Canoe, 1974. 234-261. Questia. Web. 17 Aug. 2013. <http://www.questia.com/read/105309368/sugar-and-slavery-an-economic-history-of-the-british>.

Criticism

Azim, Firdous. "Slavery and Sexuality in Oroonoko." The Colonial Rise of the Novel. London: Routledge, 1993. 34-60. Questia. Web. 4 Sept. 2013. <http://www.questia.com/read/103407789/the-colonial-rise-of-the-novel>.
Brown, Laura. "The Romance of Empire: Oroonoko and the Trade in Slaves."Oroonoko: An Authoritative Text, Historical Backgrounds, Criticism. By Aphra Behn. Ed. Joanna Lipking. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. 232-245. Print.
Chibka, Robert L. "[Truth, Falsehood and Fiction in Oroonoko]."Oroonoko: An Authoritative Text, Historical Backgrounds, Criticism. By Aphra Behn. Ed. Joanna Lipking. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. 220-232. Print.
Pacheco, Anita. "Royalism and Honor in Aphra Behn's 'Oroonoko.'" Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 34.3 (1994): 491-506. Questia. Web. 18 Aug. 2013. <http://www.questia.com/read/1G1-16076717/royalism-and-honor-in-aphra-behn-s-oroonoko>
Rivero, Albert J. "Aphra Behn's Oroonoko and the "Blank Spaces" of Colonial Fictions."Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 39.3 (1999): 443-62. Questia. Web. 19 Aug. 2013. <http://www.questia.com/read/1G1-55939412/aphra-behn-s-oroonoko-and-the-blank-spaces-of-colonial>
Rose, Mary Beth. "Gender and the Heroics of Endurance in Oroonoko."Oroonoko: An Authoritative Text, Historical Backgrounds, Criticism. By Aphra Behn. Ed. Joanna Lipking. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. 256-264. Print.
Spencer, Jane. "The Woman Novelist as Heroine."Oroonoko: An Authoritative Text, Historical Backgrounds, Criticism. By Aphra Behn. Ed. Joanna Lipking. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. 209-220. Print.
Spengemann, William C. "The Earliest American Novel: Aphra Behn's Oroonoko."Oroonoko: An Authoritative Text, Historical Backgrounds, Criticism. By Aphra Behn. Ed. Joanna Lipking. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. 199-209. Print.
Sussman, Charlotte. "The Other Problem with Women: Reproduction and Slave Culture in Aphra Behn's Oroonoko."Oroonoko: An Authoritative Text, Historical Backgrounds, Criticism. By Aphra Behn. Ed. Joanna Lipking. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. 246-256. Print.Topics

Characteristics of Renaissance and Restoration Literature

"English Literature: English Renaissance 1500-1600." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Sept. 2013. Web. 04 Oct. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Modern_English_literature>.
"Restoration Comedy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 June 2013. Web. 04 Oct. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restoration_Comedy>.
"Restoration Literature." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 July 2013. Web. 04 Oct. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restoration_literature>.
Hughes, Derek. "Rape on the Restoration Stage." Eighteenth Century: Theory and Interpretation 46.3 (2005): 225+. Questia. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. < http://www.questia.com/read/1G1-152639868/rape-on-the-restoration-stage>
Nettleton, George Henry. English Drama of the Restoration and Eighteenth Century (1642-1780). New York: Macmillan, 1914. Questia. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. < http://www.questia.com/read/30299617/english-drama-of-the-restoration-and-eighteenth-century>

Women and Writing in the Early Modern Period

Burt, Richard, and John Michael Archer, eds. Enclosure Acts: Sexuality, Property, and Culture in Early Modern England. Ithaca, NY: Cornell UP, 1994. Questia. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.<http://www.questia.com/read/103731589/enclosure-acts-sexuality-property-and-culture-in>
Hall, Kim F. Things of Darkness: Economies of Race and Gender in Early Modern England. Ithaca, NY: Cornell UP, 1995. Questia. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. < http://www.questia.com/read/103675840/things-of-darkness-economies-of-race-and-gender-in>
Salzman, Paul. “The Scope of Early Modern Women’s Writing” Reading Early Modern Women's Writing. New York: Oxford UP, 2006. 11-36. Questia. Web. 19 Aug. 2013. <http://www.questia.com/read/118954142/reading-early-modern-women-s-writing>
Salzman, Paul. “Saint and Sinner” Reading Early Modern Women's Writing. New York: Oxford UP, 2006. 199-218. Questia. Web. 19 Aug. 2013. <http://www.questia.com/read/118954142/reading-early-modern-women-s-writing>

Shakespearean London Theatre

Lectures

"ShaLT Launch 23 April 2013." ShaLT Launch. V&A Museum, London. 23 Apr. 2013. ShaLT. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://shalt.dmu.ac.uk/media/uploads/audio/shalt-1.mp3>.
"ShaLT Public lecture 23 April 2013 Prof Andrew Gurr ‘Why was the Globe Round?’.” ShaLT Public lectures. V&A Museum, London. 23 Apr. 2013. ShaLT. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://shalt.dmu.ac.uk/media/uploads/audio/shalt-2.mp3>.
"ShaLT Public lecture 28 April 2013 Prof Peter Womack 'The People's Tragic Hero'." ShaLT Public lectures. V&A Museum, London. 28 Apr. 2013. ShaLT. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://shalt.dmu.ac.uk/media/uploads/audio/shalt-3.mp3>.
"ShaLT Public lecture 05 May 2013 Prof Julie Sanders 'Ben Jonson, Bankside and the Blackfriars'." ShaLT Public lectures. V&A Museum, London. 05 May. 2013. ShaLT. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://shalt.dmu.ac.uk/media/uploads/audio/shalt-4.mp3>.
"ShaLT Public lecture 19 May 2013 Prof Tiffany Stern 'Stuck Up and Down About the City'." ShaLT Public lectures. V&A Museum, London. 19 May. 2013. ShaLT. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://shalt.dmu.ac.uk/media/uploads/audio/shalt-5.mp3>.
"ShaLT Public lecture 02 June 2013 Prof Joanne Tompkins 'Virtual Reality and London's Early Stages'." ShaLT Public lectures. V&A Museum, London. 02 June. 2013. ShaLT. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://shalt.dmu.ac.uk/media/uploads/audio/shalt-6.mp3>.
"ShaLT Public lecture 16 June 2013 Prof Jean E. Howard 'Rich City, Poor City'." ShaLT Public lectures. V&A Museum, London. 16 June. 2013. ShaLT. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://shalt.dmu.ac.uk/media/uploads/audio/shalt-7.mp3>.
"ShaLT Public lecture 30 June 2013 Dr Farah Karim-Cooper 'Fashioning the Female Face'." ShaLT Public lectures. V&A Museum, London. 30 June. 2013. ShaLT. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://shalt.dmu.ac.uk/media/uploads/audio/shalt-8.mp3>.
"ShaLT Public lecture 14 July 2013 Prof Martin White 'When Torchlight Made an Artificial Noon'." ShaLT Public lectures. V&A Museum, London. 14 July 2013. ShaLT. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://shalt.dmu.ac.uk/media/uploads/audio/shalt-9.mp3>.
"ShaLT Public lecture 28 July 2013 Prof Ralph A. Cohen 'The New Blackfriars'." ShaLT Public lectures. V&A Museum, London. 28 July. 2013. ShaLT. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://shalt.dmu.ac.uk/media/uploads/audio/shalt-10.mp3>.
"ShaLT Public lecture 11 August 2013 Prof Gary Taylor '1+1=3'." ShaLT Public lectures. V&A Museum, London. 11 Aug. 2013. ShaLT. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://shalt.dmu.ac.uk/media/uploads/audio/shalt-11.mp3>.
"ShaLT Public lecture 25 August 2013 Prof Martin Butler 'Exeunt Players'." ShaLT Public lectures. V&A Museum, London. 25 Aug. 2013. ShaLT. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://shalt.dmu.ac.uk/media/uploads/audio/shalt-12.mp3>.

Films

"An Introduction to Shakespearean London Theatres." YouTube. YouTube, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufkQk0E0SjY&feature=youtu.be>.
"John Lyly." YouTube. N.p., 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://youtu.be/mmCLHqjIGB0>.
"Sapho and Phao, Act III Scene 4 by John Lyly." YouTube. YouTube, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okYqncz1lxM&feature=youtu.be>.
"Interview with Andy Kesson." YouTube. YouTube, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fZYY8UWBiw&feature=youtu.be>.
"Interview with Lucy Munro." YouTube. YouTube, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce4yFGZ136A&feature=youtu.be>.
"Richard III, Act I Scene 2 by William Shakespeare." YouTube. N.p., 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://youtu.be/m-2L5in5Q68>.
"James Burbage." YouTube. YouTube, 03 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NtgDJxn6aA&feature=youtu.be>.
"Interview with Gabriel Egan." YouTube. YouTube, 02 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vXnSCjgQoo&feature=youtu.be>.
"Interview with Tiffany Stern." YouTube. YouTube, 2 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92iHcnxQGOk&feature=youtu.be>.
"Interview with Andrew Gurr." YouTube. YouTube, 03 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXaFBFmQLLc&feature=youtu.be>.
"The Spanish Tragedy, Act II Scene 4 by Thomas Kyd." YouTube. YouTube, 27 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PdwrQdcs1Y&feature=youtu.be>.
"Philip Henslowe and Edward Alleyn." YouTube. YouTube, 12 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpPA28nGA3w&feature=youtu.be>.
"Interview with Grace Ioppolo." YouTube. YouTube, 12 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTmdaKc1kus&feature=youtu.be>.
"Eastward Ho! Act I Scene 2, by Ben Jonson, John Marston, and George Chapman." YouTube. YouTube, 20 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNPul8OGQwE&feature=youtu.be>.
"Ben Jonson." YouTube. YouTube, 20 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWlvXUllgW0&feature=youtu.be>.
"Interview with Julie Sanders." YouTube. YouTube, 20 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ufnRuqtV9A&feature=youtu.be>.
"Interview with Martin White." YouTube. YouTube, 20 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs5N4uNDFIA&feature=youtu.be>.
"A Fair Quarrel, Act I Scene 1 by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley." YouTube. YouTube, 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXzOXr4yc_o&feature=youtu.be>.
"Christopher Beeston." YouTube. YouTube, 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfUBqHDYsAI&feature=youtu.be>.
"Interview with Michael Dobson." YouTube. YouTube, 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTZPR5Ce-eQ&feature=youtu.be>.

Victorians

Emily Brontë, ‘Wuthering Heights’

Primary Literature

Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. Lit2Go. Web. 14 Feb. 2014, <http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/159/wuthering-heights/>

Secondary Literature
Criticism

Bell, Vereen. “Wuthering Heights as Epos" College English 25.3 (1963): 199-200 + 205-208. JSTOR. Web. 1 Feb. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/373688>.
DeRosa, Robin. ""To Save the Life of the Novel": Sadomasochism and Representation in "Wuthering Heights"" Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature 52.1 (1998): 27-43. JSTOR. Web. 1 Feb. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1348290>.
Homans, Margaret. "Repression and Sublimation of Nature in Wuthering Heights." PMLA 93.1 (1978): 9-19. JSTOR. Web. 1 Feb. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/461816>.
Krupat, Arnold. "The Strangeness of Wuthering Heights." Nineteenth-Century Fiction 25.3 (1970): 269-80. JSTOR. Web. 1 Feb. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2933434>.
Newman, Beth. ""The Situation of the Looker-On": Gender, Narration, and Gaze in Wuthering Heights." PMLA 105.5 (1990): 1029-041. JSTOR. Web. 1 Feb. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/462732>.
Pike, Judith E. ""My Name Was Isabella Linton": Coverture, Domestic Violence, and Mrs. Heathcliff's Narrative in Wuthering Heights." Nineteenth-Century Literature 64.3 (2009): 347-83. JSTOR. Web. 1 Feb. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/ncl.2009.64.3.347>.
Thompson, Wade. "Infanticide and Sadism in Wuthering Heights." PMLA 78.1 (1963): 69-74. JSTOR. Web. 1 Feb. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/461226>.
Vine, Steven. "The Wuther of the Other in Wuthering Heights." Nineteenth-Century Literature 49.3 (1994): 339-59. JSTOR. Web. 1 Feb. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2933820>.
Woodring, Carl R. "The Narrators of Wuthering Heights." Nineteenth-Century Fiction 11.4 (1957): 298-305. JSTOR. Web. 1 Feb. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3044458>.

Other Media

Wuthering Heights. Dir. Andrea Arnold. Perf. Kaya Scodelario, James Howson and Solomon Glave. Ecosse Films, 2011. Film. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. <http://www.firedrive.com/file/D88F3368520A85D2>.

Christina Rosetti, ‘Goblin Market and Other Poems’
Primary Literature

Rossetti, Christina. Speaking Likenesses. About.com Classic Literature. Web. 04 Oct. 2013. <http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/crossetti/bl-crossetti-speaking.htm>.
Rossetti, Christina. "The Goblin Market, In the Round Tower at Jhansi, Dream Land, At Home, A Triad." Goblin Market, The Prince's Progress, and Other Poems. Gutenberg. Web. 28 Sept. 2013. <http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=1506218>.
Rossetti, Christina. "The Prince's Progress." Infoplease. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. <http://www.infoplease.com/t/poetry/rossetti/the-princes-progress.html>.

Secondary Literature

"Christina Rossetti." The Poetry Foundation. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/christina-rossetti>.
CriticismLewis Carroll, ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ and ‘Through the Looking Glass’
Carroll, Lewis. (1865). Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (Lit2Go ed.). Web. 05. Jan. 2014, <http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/1/alices-adventures-in-wonderland/>
Carroll, Lewis. Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. Read by Adrian Praetzellis. Librivox. 2 July 2007. Web. 05 Jan. 2014. < https://librivox.org/through-the-looking-glass-and-what-alice-found-there-by-lewis-carroll/>

Robert Lewis Stevenson, ‘The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde’ and ‘Treasure Island’Primary Literature

Stevenson, R. (1886). The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. (Lit2Go ed.). Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/207/the-strange-case-of-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde/

Secondary Literature
Criticism

Glencoe Literature Library. Study Guide for The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. New York: Glencoe, McGraw-Hill.
McCracken-Flesher, Caroline. “Thinking Nationally/Writing Colonially? Scott, Stevenson, and England.” NOVEL: A Forum on Fiction 24.3 (1991): 296-318. JSTOR. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1345940>.
Millhauser, Milton. “Dr. Newton and Mr. Hyde: Scientists in Fiction from Swift to Stevenson.” Nineteenth-Century Fiction 28.3 (1973):287-304. JSTOR. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2933001>.
Miyoshi, Masao. “Dr. Jekyll and the Emergence of Mr. Hyde.” College English 27.6 (1966): 470-474. JSTOR. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/374021>.
Saposnik, Irving S. “The Anatomy of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 11.4 (1971): 715-731. JSTOR. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/449833>.
Stiles, Anne. “Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Jekyll and Hyde” and the Double Brain." Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 46.4 (2006): 879-900. JSTOR. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/4127513>.

Characteristics of Victorian Literature

"Victorian Literature." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 04 Oct. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_literature>.
Walder, Dennis. The Realist Novel. London: Routledge/Open UP, 1995. Print.

Women, Body Image and Appetite in Literature

Silver, Anna Krugovoy. Victorian Literature and the Anorexic Body. Cambridge, England: Cambridge UP, 2002. Questia. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. <http://www.questia.com/read/105315114/victorian-literature-and-the-anorexic-body>

Gothic Literature

Botting, Fred, ed. The Gothic. Cambridge, England: D.S. Brewer, 2001. Questia. Web. 6 Mar. 2014. <http://www.questia.com/read/109695802/the-gothic>
Smith, Andrew. Gothic Literature. Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP, 2007. Questia. Web. 6 Mar. 2014.<http://www.questia.com/read/117288492/gothic-literature>

Fin de Siècle

Marshall, Gail, ed. The Cambridge Companion to the Fin De Siècle. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Print.

Lists, Lists, Lists

2014-05-10T20:35:00.003+02:00

Beloved Reader,

I would like to share with you a list of all the books that I have studied so far. The list in this post is one of the primary texts that I have studied in depth for the various courses, the following, longer list of the next post, is the (nearly) complete bibliography of all secondary texts and resources that I have studied for the two level 5 courses Renaissance/Restoration and Victorians. Only a very few are missing from this list.

Primary texts:

Level 4

Explorations in Literature:

Homer, 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey'
Dante Alighieri, 'The Inferno'
William Shakespeare, 'The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark' and 'The Tempest'
John Milton, 'Paradise Lost'
Jane Austen, 'Emma' and 'Pride and Prejudice'
Charles Dickens, 'Hard Times' and 'Great Expectations'
Charlotte Brontë, 'Jane Eyre'
Joseph Conrad, 'Heart of Darkness'
James Joyce, 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man'
Virginia Woolf, 'Mrs Dalloway'
Samuel Beckett, 'Waiting for Godot'
Toni Morrison, 'Beloved'

Renaissance Comedy:

Plays by William Shakespeare:

The Taming of the Shrew
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Much Ado About Nothing
As You Like It
The Merchant of Venice
Twelfth Night

Plays by Ben Jonson:

Eastward Ho!
Bartholomew Fair
Volpone
The Alchemist
Every Man In His Humour
Epicoene; or The Silent Woman

Introduction to Creative Writing:

Bell and Magrs, 'The Creative Writing Coursebook: Forty Authors Share Advice and Exercises for Fiction and Poetry'
Anderson and Neale, 'Writing Fiction'
Strand and Boland, 'The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms'
Taylor, 'Stage Writing: A Practical Guide'

Approaches to Text:

Abrams, 'A Glossary of Literary Terms'
Barry, 'Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory'
Culler, 'Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction'
Montgomery, Durant, Fabb, Furniss and Mills, 'Ways of Reading: Advanced Reading Skills for Students of Literature'
Walder, 'Literature in the Modern World: Critical Essays and Documents'

Level 5

Renaissance and Restoration:

Christopher Marlowe, 'Doctor Faustus'
Thomas Kyd, 'The Spanish Tragedy'
William Shakespeare, 'Othello' and 'Macbeth'
John Webster, 'The Duchess of Malfi'
Thomas Dekker, 'The Shoemaker's Holiday'
Anonymous, 'Arden of Faversham'
Aphra Behn, 'Oroonoko'
William Wycherley, 'The Country Wife'

Victorians:

Christina Rossetti, 'Goblin Market' and 'Speaking Likenesses'
Bram Stoker, 'Dracula'
Emily Brontë, 'Wuthering Heights'
Lewis Carroll, 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', and 'Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There'
Robert Lewis Stevenson, 'Treasure Island, 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'
Oscar Wilde, 'The Soul of Man under Socialism', 'Ballad of Reading Gaol', 'Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories', 'De Profundis', 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and 'The Importance of Being Earnest'

Note: The underlined titles are the texts that I wrote on in an exam, and can therefore not use in any further examinations.

Yours Sincerely,

Kris

Continuing the Studies

2014-05-10T19:44:00.000+02:00

Beloved Reader,

Since my last post two years and four days ago a lot has happened. I worked as an English teacher in China until January 2013 and then moved to Egypt, where I spent February until May in Bahariya Oasis, located in the Western Desert, about 350 km southeast of Cairo. All this time I was studying the four foundation (level 4) courses:

Explorations in Literature
Renaissance Comedy
Approaches to Text
Introduction to Creative Writing

and in May of last year I sat three of the exams in London, the fourth course, Creative Writing, was assessed through a written assignment for which I handed in a 5500 word prose piece and a 1000 word critical commentary. Spending two weeks in England was a great idea and I had the chance to see a live performance of Shakespeare's The Tempest at Shakespeare's Globe, a replica of the original outdoor playhouse from Elizabethan times, in London. Besides, I met several fellow students in person, quite a treat after having studied by myself for such a long time, and I was able to see many of the places mentioned or described in the British Literature that I study.

In July I received the exam results and my current grade average is very close to a 2:1 (Upper second-class honours); I hope to be able to raise it to the 2:1 with this year's exams. This year I sat the exams for two level 5 courses:

Renaissance and Restoration
Victorians.

I had enrolled for four level 5 courses, but with working full time as an English and German teacher at a private school in Cairo I just could not find enough time to study for all four courses and decided in January to sit only the two exams, thus unfortunately prolonging my studies for another year. My earliest date for graduation will be 2016, and I never thought it would take me so long when I enrolled in 2011. However, an advantage of extending my studies over several years is that I have more time to spend on the individual courses, and thus study each topic more in depth; in an ideal world that is - the last year was quite chaotic with a lot of stress at work so that I did not get to spend nearly as much time as I would have liked on my studies.

Which brings me to the following: I have kept on using the pomodoro technique ever since March 2012 when I first found out about it, and it has helped me to keep detailed track about my studies and the time I have spent on it since I started recording it.

Level 4 studies:

Part 1:

Start date: 04 March 2012
End date: 23 June 2012
Number of days I studied: 105
Number of days I did not study: 0
Total number of pomodoros: 870
Hours studied per week: 25.5 h
Hours studied per day: 3.6 h

Part 2:

Start date: 01 September 2012
End date: 30 April 2013
Number of days I studied: 190
Number of days I did not study: 52
Total number of pomodoros: 1554
Hours studied per week: 24.2 h
Hours studied per day: 3.5 h

Level 5 Part 1 studies:

Start date: 28 July 2013
End date: 9 May 2014
Number of days I studied: 228
Number of days I did not study: 58
Total number of pomodoros: 1242
Hours studied per week: 16 h
Hours studied per day: 2.3 h

A Note on Level 4 Part 2 studies: I studied less per day/week in the time between September 2012 - January 2013, due to relocating and traveling. I studied more per day/week in the time between February - April 2013, as I did not work, but spent every free minute of my day on my studies. During these three months I did not study on only two days, and I studied for an average of 30.9 hours per week, or 4.4 hours per day.

A note on Level 5 studies: In the time between 29 March 2014 and 3 May 2014 I studied every day, except one, and completed 451 pomodoro units. This equals an average study time of 5.4 hours per day and 37.6 hours per week. Considering a time frame from 01 February 2014 until 3 May 2014, minus three study-free days, I have completed 727 pomodoro units, and studied 3.4 h/day and 23.8 h/week.

This should suffice as a first update about my studies. In my next post I will focus mainly on Level 5 courses and compile a list of primary texts that I have studied, as well as a mostly complete bibliography for the secondary texts that I have read.

Yours Sincerely,

Kris

What I've Done So Far

2012-05-06T12:01:00.001+02:00

Beloved Reader,

It has been quite some time since my last blog entry. Many things have happened since, I have moved to Lingling, Hunan in China and started teaching oral English at a high school and I found this to go quite well with my studies. I only have to work 15 hours each week but earn enough money - for local standards - to lead a comfortable life. I have to save most of the money, though, so that I will be able to pay my tuition fees later this year and the examination fees next year. Many of my fellow students have just written their first exams this past week but I had decided a while ago that I will only start writing exams next year.

Having settled down and having a regular working schedule I have also started to study regularly. In one of the e-seminars that the University of London offered in December, January and February, one of the teachers suggested a time management technique, called the 'Pomodoro Technique', which has since helped me to keep track of my studies and to keep focused on the material during my study sessions. The basics of this technique are to set a timer to 25 minutes, study (or do whatever you have to do) efficiently, then take a 5 minute break. For more information check out http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/. I have adapted the technique to my own needs and am very happy with the results. Not only do I keep track of my studies now - I know exactly what I have done - but also can I work a lot more efficiently now than before.

I started studying and using this technique on March 3^rd and have since studied about 27 hours each week on average. And that's not 27 hours of 'derping' around, no. That is 27 hours of actual study time.

In the beginning of March I made a study plan for the whole year until the exam time in May 2013. I once mentioned that I'm not good at sticking to plans but with the 'Pomodoro Technique' I have been able to stick to it so far. The plan - in short - gives me 1 month per book in Explorations 1 and 2 and 40 weeks instead of just 20 for Approaches to Text and Renaissance Comedy.

Here are the bibliographies for the books, articles, etc. that I have read in those 9 weeks (all but for Approaches to Text):

Week 1-4

Explorations in Literature 1

Shakespeare, William - The Tempest

Primary Literature

Shakespeare, William. "The Tempest", ed. Peter Holland; New York: Penguin Putnam Inc. (2002)

Secondary Literature

Corfield, Cosmo. "Why Does Prospero Abjure His "Rough Magic"?" Shakespeare Quarterly Spring 36.1 (1985): 31-48. JSTOR. Web. 4 Mar. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2870079>.
Ebner, Dean. "The Tempest: Rebellion and the Ideal State." Shakespeare Quarterly Spring 16.2 (1965): 161-173. JSTOR. Web. 4. Mar 2012 <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2868262>.
Egan, Robert. "This Rough Magic: Perspectives of Art and Morality in The Tempest." Shakespeare Quarterly Spring 23.2 (1972): 171-182. JSTOR. Web. 4 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor. org/stable/2868575>.
Frey, Charles. "The Tempest and the New World." Shakespeare Quarterly Winter 30.1 (1979): 29-41. JSTOR. Web. 4 Mar. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2869659>.
Fuchs, Barbara. "Conquering Islands: Contextualizing The Tempest." Shakespeare Quarterly Spring 48.1 (1997): 45-62. JSTOR. Web. 4 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2871400>.
Gesner, Carol. "The Tempest as Pastoral Romance." Shakespeare Quarterly Autumn 10.4 (1959): 531-539. JSTOR. Web. 4 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2867103>.
Hoeinger, F. D. "Prospero's Storm and Miracle." Shakespeare Quarterly Winter 7.1 (1956): 33-38. JSTOR. Web. 4 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2866110>.
Lupton, Julia Reinhard. "Creature Caliban." Shakespeare Quarterly Spring 51.1 (2000): 1-23. JSTOR. Web. 4 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2902320>.
Magnusson, A. Lynne. "Interruption in 'The Tempest'." Shakespeare Quarterly 37.1 (1986): 52-65. JSTOR. Web. 04 Mar. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2870191>.
Metzger, Sheri. "CliffsNotes on The Tempest". 22 Mar 2012. <http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/id-130.html>.
Mowat, Barbara A. "Prospero's Book." Shakespeare Quarterly Spring 52.1 (2001): 1-33. JSTOR. Web. 04 Mar. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3648645>.
Phillips, James E. "The Tempest and the Renaissance Idea of Man." Shakespeare Quarterly Spring 15.2 (1964): 147-159. JSTOR. Web. 4 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2867886>.
Skura, Meredith Anne. "Discourse and the Individual: The Case of Colonialism in The Tempest." Shakespeare Quarterly Spring 40.1 (1989): 42-69. JSTOR. Web. 4 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2870753>.
Smith, Irwin. "Ariel and the Masque in The Tempest." Shakespeare Quarterly Summer 21.3 (1970): 213-222. JSTOR. Web. 4 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2868699>.
Vaughan, Alden T. "Shakespeare's Indian: The Americanization of Caliban." Shakespeare Quarterly Summer 39.2 (1988): 137-153. JSTOR. Web. 4 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2870626>.
Zimbardo, Rose Abdelnour. "Form and Disorder in The Tempest." Shakespeare Quarterly Winter 14.1 (1963): 49-56. JSTOR. Web. 4. Mar 2012 <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2868137>.

Explorations in Literature 2

James Joyce - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Primary Literature

Joyce, James. "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man". New York: Dover, 1994.

Secondary Literature

August, Eugene R. "Father Arnall's Use of Scripture in A Portrait" James Joyce Quarterly Summer 4.4 (1967): 275-79. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25486646>.
Bowen, Zack R. "Epiphanies, Stephen's Diary, and the Narrative Perspective of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man." James Joyce Quarterly Summer 16.4 (1979): 485-488. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25476228>.
Brivic, Sheldon. "Gender Dissonance, Hysteria and History in James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man." James Joyce Quarterly Spring 39.3 (2002): 457-476. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25477894>.
Comens, Bruce. "Narrative Nets and Lyric Flights in Joyce's A Portrait." James Joyce Quarterly Winter 29.2 (1992): 297-314. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar 2012. <http://www. jstor.org/stable/25485261>.
Daiches, David. "James Joyce: The Artist as Exile." College English 2.3 (1940): 197-206. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/370369>.
Joyce, Stanislaus. "James Joyce: A Memoir." Trans. Felix Giovanelli. The Hudson Review Winter 2.4 (1950): 485-514. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3847704>.
Magalaner, Marvin. "Reflections on A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man." James Joyce Quarterly Summer 4.4 (1967): 343-346. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25486654>. No notes.
Naremore, James. "Style as Meaning in "A Portrait of the Artist"" James Joyce Quarterly Summer 4.4 (1967): 331-42. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25486653>.
Rossman, Charles. "Stephen Dedalus' Villanelle." James Joyce Quarterly Spring 12.3 (1975): 281-93. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25487187>.
Scholes, Robert. "James Joyce, Irish Poet." James Joyce Quarterly Summer 2.4 (1965): 255-270. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25486520>.
Scholes, Robert. "Stephen Dedalus, Poet or Esthete?" PMLA Sep. 79.4 (1964): 484-489. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/460754>.
Sharpless, F. Parvin. "Irony in Joyce's "Portrait": The Stasis of Pity." James Joyce Quarterly Summer 4.4 (1967): 320-30. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25486652>.
Wachtel, Albert. "Ripe for Peaching: Stephen Dedalus and the Chain of Command." James Joyce Quarterly Fall 14.1 (1976): 8-14. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25476022>.
Waith, Eugene M. "The Calling of Stephen Dedalus." College English Feb 18.5 (1957): 256-261. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/372469>. No notes.
Zimbaro, Valerie Pursel. "CliffsNotes on A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man". 22 Mar 2012. <http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/id-146.html>.

Renaissance Comedy

General History and Theatrical Conditions of English Renaissance Drama

Gurr, Andrew. "Introduction." The Shakespearean Stage, 1574-1642. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2009. 1-37. Print.
Gurr, Andrew. "The Players." The Shakespearean Stage, 1574-1642. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2009. 100-138. Print.
Gurr, Andrew. "The Playhouses." The Shakespearean Stage, 1574-1642. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2009. 139-208. Print.
Foakes, R. A. "Playhouses and Players." The Cambridge Companion to English Renaissance Drama. By A. R. Braunmuller and Michael Hattaway. Cambridge [England: Cambridge UP, 1990. 1-52. Print.
Hattaway, Michael "Drama and Society." The Cambridge Companion to English Renaissance Drama. By A. R. Braunmuller and Michael Hattaway. Cambridge [England: Cambridge UP, 1990. 91-126. Print.
Levenson, Jill "Comedy." The Cambridge Companion to English Renaissance Drama. By A. R. Braunmuller and Michael Hattaway. Cambridge [England: Cambridge UP, 1990. 263-300. Print.
Raffel, Burton. "Some Essentials of the Shakespearean Stage." A Midsummer Night's Dream (Annotated Shakespeare). By William Shakespeare. Ed. Burton Raffel. New Haven and London: Yale UP, 2005. Xxxvii-xxix. PDF.

Cultural and Literary Contexts Pertaining to English Renaissance

Alexander, Michael. A History of English Literature. London: Macmillan, 2000. PDF.
Dillon, Janette. "Chronology of Events." The Cambridge Introduction to Early English Theatre. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2006. 225-49. Print.
Engel, William E. "Historical Contexts for the Age of Shakespeare." The Shakespeare Handbook. By Andrew Hiscock and Stephen Longstaffe. London: Continuum, 2009. 26-45. Print.
Longstaffe, Stephen. "Shakespeare's Literary and Cultural Contexts." The Shakespeare Handbook. By Andrew Hiscock and Stephen Longstaffe. London: Continuum, 2009. 46-68. Print.
Rozakis, Laurie. "Shakespeare's Life and Times." The Complete Idiot's Guide to Shakespeare. New York, NY: Alpha, 1999. 1-82. PDF.

Week 5-8

Explorations in Literature 1

Shakespeare, William - Hamlet

Primary Literature

Shakespeare, William "The Tragical History of Hamlet Prince of Denmark", ed. A. R. Braunmuller; New York: Penguin Putnam Inc. (2002)

Secondary Literature

Cantor, Paul A. "The Renaissance Context." Shakespeare, Hamlet. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004. 1-5. PDF.
Cantor, Paul A. "Heroism in the Renaissance epic tradition." Shakespeare, Hamlet. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004. 5-11. PDF.
Cantor, Paul A. "Tragedy and Renaissance man." Shakespeare, Hamlet. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004. 11-15. PDF.
Cantor, Paul A. "The place of Hamlet in Shakespeare's career." Shakespeare, Hamlet. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004. 15-20. PDF.
Cantor, Paul A. "The problem of Hamlet." Shakespeare, Hamlet. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004. 20-25. PDF.
Cantor, Paul A. "Hamlet and the revenge play tradition." Shakespeare, Hamlet. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004. 25-30. PDF.
Cantor, Paul A. "Hamlet and classical heroism." Shakespeare, Hamlet. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004. 30-37. PDF.
Cantor, Paul A. "Hamlet and Christianity." Shakespeare, Hamlet. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004. 37-49. PDF.
Cantor, Paul A. "Hamlet as tragic hero." Shakespeare, Hamlet. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004. 49-53. PDF.
Cantor, Paul A. "The end of Hamlet." Shakespeare, Hamlet. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004. 53-60. PDF.
Cantor, Paul A. "The drama of Hamlet." Shakespeare, Hamlet. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004. 60-70. PDF.
Cantor, Paul A. "The language of Hamlet." Shakespeare, Hamlet. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004. 70-77. PDF.
McGinn, Colin. "Hamlet." Shakespeare's Philosophy - Discovering the Meaning behind the Plays. New York: Harper-Collins, 2006. 35-60. PDF.
Stockton, Carla Lynn. "CliffsNotes on Hamlet." 22 Mar 2012.<http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/id-121.html>.

Other Media (Film Adaptions, Lectures, &c.)

Hamlet. Dir. Franco Zeffirelli. Perf. Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Ian Holm and Helena Bonham Carter. Warner Bros. Pictures, 1990. Online Stream.
Hamlet. Dir. Kenneth Branagh. By William Shakespeare. Perf. Kenneth Branagh, Gerard Depardieu, Charlton Heston, Robin Williams and Kate Winslet. Castle Rock Entertainment, 1996. Online Stream.

Explorations in Literature 2

John Milton - Paradise Lost

Primary Literature

Milton, John, and Gordon Teskey. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. Print.

Secondary Literature

Commentary

Linn, Bob. "CliffsNotes on Paradise Lost." CliffsNotes. Web. 07 Apr. 2012. <http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/paradise-lost.html>.
Miner, Earl, William Moeck, and Steven Jablonski, eds. Paradise Lost, 1668-1968: Three Centuries of Commentary. Lewisburg, PA: Bucknell University Press, 2004.Questia. Web. 7 Apr. 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=107360380>

Classic Criticism of Paradise Lost

Addison, Joseph. "From Spectator 297." February 9, 1712. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 379-80. Print.
Addison, Joseph. "From Spectator 303." February 16, 1712. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 381-82. Print.
Arnold, Matthew. "From Milton." 1888. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 398-9. Print.
Blake, William. "From The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: From The Voice of the Devil (Plates 5-6)." 1793. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 389. Print.
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. "From Lecture 4." March 4, 1819. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 390-1. Print.
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. "Unassigned Lecture Notes [Milton and Paradise Lost]." Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 391-2. Print.
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. "From Table Talk [Milton's Egotism]." August 1833 Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 392. Print.
Dryden, John. "Epigram." 1685. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 378. Print.
Dryden, John. "From Preface to Second Miscellany." 1685. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 379. Print.
Eliot, T. S. "From Milton I." 1936. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 399-400. Print.
Eliot, T. S. "From Milton II." 1947. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 400. Print.
Gordon, George, Lord Byron. "From Don Juan: From Dedication. From Canto III." 1819-24. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 392-3. Print.
Housman, A. E. "From Terence, this is stupid stuff." 1896. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 399. Print.
Hugo, Victor. "From Cromwell: From Act 3." 1827. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 397. Print.
Johnson, Samuel. "From Lives of the English Poets." 1797. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 384-7. Print.
Landor, Walter Savage. "From Imaginary Conversations ." 1846. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 395-6. Print.
Marvell, Andrew. "On Mr. Milton's Paradise Lost." 1674. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 377-78. Print.
Shelley, Percy Bysshe. "From the Preface to Prometheus Unbound." 1820. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 393. Print.
Shelley, Percy Bysshe. "From A Defence of Poetry." 1821. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 394-5. Print.
Tennyson, Alfred, Lord. "Milton." 1863. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 397. Print.
Vicomte de Chateaubriand, François-René. "From Sketches of English Literature." 1836. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 387-8. Print.
Voltaire. "From Candide." 1759. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 382. Print.
Voltaire. "From Essay upon the Civil Wars of France … And also upon the Epick Poetry of the European Nations from Homer to Milton." 1727. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 383. Print.
Wordsworth, William. "London." 1802. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 390. Print.

Modern Criticism of Paradise Lost

Empson, William. "From Satan." 1961. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 417-20. Print.
Flesch, William. "From The Majesty of Darkness: Idol and Image in Milton." 1992. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 425-7. Print.
Gross, Kenneth. "From Satan and the Romantic Satan: A Notebook." 1988. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 420-4. Print.
Lewis, C. S. "From Satan." 1942. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 401-7. Print.
Rajan, Balachandra. "From The Problem of Satan." 1947. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 407-13. Print.
Waldock, A. J. A. "From Satan and the Technique of Degradation." 1947. Paradise Lost: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. By John Milton and Gordon Teskey. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 413-7. Print.

Renaissance Comedy

Pastoral, Shakespearean and Festive Comedy

Dillon, Janette. "Elizabethan Comedy." The Cambridge Companion to Shakespearean Comedy. Ed. Alexander Leggatt. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge UP, 2002. 47-63.Questia. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=105056604>.
Gordon, George. "What Is Comedy." Shakespearean Comedy and Other Studies. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1944. 1-13. Questia. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=6322908>
Mcfarland, Thomas. Shakespeare's Pastoral Comedy. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1972. Questia. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=104467254>
Laroque, François. "Popular Festivity"The Cambridge Companion to Shakespearean Comedy. Ed. Alexander Leggatt. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge UP, 2002. 64-79.Questia. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=105056604>.
Olson, Paul A. "On Historical Understandings of Shakespeare's Works." Beyond a Common Joy: An Introduction to Shakespearean Comedy. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2008. 1-26. Questia. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=117289997>
"Shakespearean Comedy." Wikipedia. 25 Mar. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespearean_comedy>.

William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream

Primary Literature

Shakespeare, William. "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Ed. Russ McDonald. The Complete Pelican Shakespeare. By Stephen Orgel and A. R. Braunmuller. New York: Penguin, 2002. 249-84. Print.
Shakespeare, William, Burton Raffel, and Harold Bloom. A Midsummer Night's Dream (The Annotated Shakespeare). New Haven: Yale UP, 2005. PDF.

Secondary Literature

Grosz, Tanya, and Linda Wendler. Shakespeare Made Easy - A Midsummer Night's Dream. Irvine: Saddleback Educational, 2006. PDF.
Halio, Jay L. "Nightingales That Roar: The Language of A Midsummer Night's Dream." William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. By Harold Bloom. New York: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2010. 43-56. PDF.
Jacobson, Karin. "CliffsNotes on A Midsummer Night's Dream." CliffsNotes. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. <http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/a-midsummer-nights-dream.html>
McGinn, Colin. "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Shakespeare's Philosophy - Discovering the Meaning behind the Plays. New York: Harper-Collins, 2006. 17-34. PDF.
Nostbakken, Faith, and William Shakespeare. "Dramatic Analysis." Understanding A Midsummer Night Dream a Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003. 1-19. Questia. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=111758635#>.
Nostbakken, Faith, and William Shakespeare. "Gender Relations: Love, Marriage, and the Battle of the Sexes." Understanding A Midsummer Night Dream a Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003. 21-31. Questia. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=111758635#>.
Nostbakken, Faith, and William Shakespeare. "Social Distinctions: Royalty, Gentry, and the Common People." Understanding A Midsummer Night Dream a Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003. 47-54. Questia. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=111758635#>.
Nostbakken, Faith, and William Shakespeare. "Popular Culture: Holidays, Court Entertainments, and Play-Acting." Understanding A Midsummer Night Dream a Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003. 69-80. Questia. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=111758635#>.
Nostbakken, Faith, and William Shakespeare. "Imagination and Beliefs: Dreams, Fairies, and Transformation." Understanding A Midsummer Night Dream a Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003. 97-105. Questia. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=111758635#>.
Nostbakken, Faith, and William Shakespeare. "Performance and Interpretation." Understanding A Midsummer Night Dream a Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003. 125-132. Questia. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=111758635#>.
Nostbakken, Faith, and William Shakespeare. "Contemporary Applications." Understanding A Midsummer Night Dream a Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003. 147-149. Questia. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=111758635#>.

Week 9

Explorations in Literature 1

Dante Alighieri - The Divine Comedy - Volume 1: Inferno

Primary Literature

Alighieri, Dante. Inferno. Trans. Robert Hollander and Jean Hollander. New York: Anchor, 2002. Print.
Alighieri, Dante. The Divine Comedy - Volume 1: Inferno. Trans. Mark Musa. London: Penguin, 2003. Print.

Secondary Literature

Raffa, Guy P. Danteworlds: A Reader's Guide to the Inferno. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2007. PDF.
Roberts, James L., and Nikki Moustaki. "CliffsNotes on The Divine Comedy: Inferno." 22 Mar 2012. <http://www.cliffs notes.com/study_guide/literature/id-77.html>.

Other Media (Film Adaptions, Lectures, &c.)

Mazzotta, Giuseppe. "Inferno I, II, III, IV." Lecture. Ital 310: Dante in Translation. Yale University, New Haven. Fall 2008. Open Yale Courses. Yale University. Web. 2 May 2012. <http://oyc.yale.edu/italian-language-and-literature/ital-310>.
Mazzotta, Giuseppe. "Inferno V, VI, VII." Lecture. Ital 310: Dante in Translation. Yale University, New Haven. Fall 2008. Open Yale Courses. Yale University. Web. 2 May 2012. <http://oyc.yale.edu/italian-language-and-literature/ital-310>.
Mazzotta, Giuseppe. "Inferno IX, X, XI." Lecture. Ital 310: Dante in Translation. Yale University, New Haven. Fall 2008. Open Yale Courses. Yale University. Web. 2 May 2012. <http://oyc.yale.edu/italian-language-and-literature/ital-310>.
Mazzotta, Giuseppe. "Inferno XII, XIII, XV, XVI." Lecture. Ital 310: Dante in Translation. Yale University, New Haven. Fall 2008. Open Yale Courses. Yale University. Web. 2 May 2012. <http://oyc.yale.edu/italian-language-and-literature/ital-310>.

Explorations in Literature 2

Joseph Conrad - Heart of Darkness

Primary Literature

Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. London: HarperPress, 2010. Print.
Conrad, Joseph. "Heart of Darkness." Youth; Heart of Darkness; The End of the Tether. London: J. M. Dent and Sons, 1946. 43-160. Questia. Web. 1 May 2012.<http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=725562>
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1902. Lit2Go. Educational Technology Clearinghouse. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/99/heart-of-darkness/>.

Secondary Literature

Conrad, Joseph, and Paul B. Armstrong. Heart of Darkness: Authoritative Text, Backgrounds and Contexts, Criticism. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2006. Print.

Renaissance Comedy

William Shakespeare - As You Like It

Primary Literature

Shakespeare, William. "As You Like It." The Works of William Shakespeare Gathered into One Volume. New York: Oxford University Press, 1938. 611-640. Questia. Web. 4 May 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=93991643>

Looks quite impressive, huh? Yes, is impressive. I'm a little proud of myself. That's 241 hours of study right there!

Yours sincerely,

Kris

Little update

2012-01-15T11:27:00.002+01:00

Beloved reader,

I'm making progress! Since my last post I have read quite some books that have both been interesting and fun (for the most part). I spent 5 weeks at my husbands' in Burlington, where I had a lot of time on my hands to devote to my studies, mostly sitting in a cafe or my favorite tea room (Dobra), while indulging into 3000 years of literature.

Right now I am sitting at Munich airport, waiting for my train home to Neumarkt, before I'll start my other new adventure on January 30th: teaching English in China.

As my battery is about to die and I'll have to leave for the bus shortly, I'll just give you a quick update on the books I've read and worked on these last 2 months:

I finished:

Dickens' Hard Times
Dickens' Great Expectations
Austen's Emma
Morrison's Beloved
Sophocles' Antigone
Sophocles' Oedipus Rex
Genesis and Exodus, King James Version
Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring (unfortunately not part of my studies but a great book nonetheless)

I started working on:

Dante's Inferno

That's all I can think of right now as I don't have my notes anywhere close right now. I really enjoy working on the Inferno, as I have two translations that I refer to while also reading the Italian original. Not that I understand much of it, but I get the gist and when I close read original and translations it makes a lot of sense. I'll probably do the same for the Greeks and Latins soon, as I have a lot of experience in reading/translating Latin and some experience in reading/translating Ancient Greek.

Right now there are also the e-seminars going on, they are fun and helpful, but I have yet to properly work on them which so far was kind of difficult as I was getting ready to leave the USA and my sleeping schedule was kind of crazy during the last two weeks, therefore my concentration wasn't always the best.

Ok, gotta run now!

Yours sincerely,

Kris

Pour Henriette

2011-11-29T14:00:00.001+01:00

Beloved reader,

After my former fellow student Henriette complained about me not publishing a new chapter on my blog - about which she was absolutely right, as I have not written anything here for more than a month - I should like to dedicate this post to her.

Let me give you a short update about what I have done within these past 6 weeks. I have read the following primary books:

Homer's Iliad
Shakespeare's The Tempest
Shakespeare's Hamlet
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew
(Shakespeare's Julius Caesar - not on any of my reading lists but a great play nonetheless)
Conrad's Heart of Darkness
Eliot's The Waste Land

I started reading:

Dickens's Hard Times (2/3 so far)
Milton's Paradise Lost
Beckett's Endgame (1/2)
Plato's Republic (1st chapter)
Jonson's Eastward Ho! (1/2)

Then I have digitalized almost all my notes. With Apple's Pages this not only is easily done but also looks pretty! I have watched several online lectures that I found through iTunes, one lecture on Shakespeare, one on Early Modern England and one on Literary Theory.

As for secondary literature I have not really devoted myself to it too much, but for some background reading on playhouses in Shakespeare's and Jonson's times and some of the texts for approaches to text.

One thing that I enjoy quite a lot is watching film adaptions of books. There are many different film versions of the Shakespeare plays, which usually means that I can watch more than just one film. This helps me to understand the contents of the plays better and memorize them more easily. Sometimes these movies are exceptionally well done, such as the 2010 adaption of The Tempest with Helen Mirren as Prospera, Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, Chris Cooper and Ben Whishaw. And then again, sometimes the movies in regard to the books could not be worse, like Troy of 2004 with Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Brendan Gleeson, Eric Bana and Diane Kruger. I did not expect much of the film before watching it, though! What made me laugh almost hysterically, however, was the way in which they introduced Aeneas into the film to ensure the survival of Troy's heritage. Thanks to the vast possibilities offered by the internet, I can watch most of the film adaptions online. One highly entertaining and recommendable series of adaptions is Shakespeare Retold by the BBC. Modern adaptions of the plays with brilliant actors, not using the original verse though. I especially loved Shirley Henderson (probably best known for her portrayal of Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter movies) as Kate Minola, the Shrew - just bloody brilliant!

Another internet resource that helps me immensely with my studies is Librivox, where 'volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain and publish the audio files on the internet.' As all of these recordings are done by volunteers you can get across some recordings that are not the best, by experience, however, I can say that a lot of them are done extraordinarily well. The plays are usually read by various readers (here I can definitely recommend the Shakespeare plays) some of which soon become familiar voices as many volunteers devote their time to recording many books. Some of the novels are even turned into these dramatic readings, which makes the listening experience more interesting than just hearing everything from monotonous narrator. Some of the best known books are usually provided in 2-5 different versions by different readers, for example Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is available in 6 different versions, including one dramatic reading. Some of my favorite Librivox readers are Elizabeth Klett, Arielle Lipshaw and Bob Neufeld, as the readings by these people are usually done very well.

I tend to listen to the audio recordings while having the text in front of me. This helps me immensely to focus on what I read/listen to. If I only read a text my mind starts to wander off. If I only listen to a text my mind starts to wander off. Getting both visual and audio input I can focus. Listening to Charles Dickens's Hard Times I do not necessarily have to have the text in front of me, as the dramatic reading is easy to listen to and I can crochet while listening. :-)

One more thing that I would like to mention here is something that has kept me busy over the last weeks: Finding a teaching position abroad. I have started writing about my experiences in my blog A Whole New World.

These days the studies-accompanying e-seminars by the UoL are starting. I will write about my experiences with these soon.

Yours sincerely,

Kris

Well, what can I say?

2011-10-17T01:47:00.002+02:00

Beloved reader,

so, this is me, 4 weeks after I have commenced my studies. And guess what: I am already behind schedule. I should be done with Homer and Conrad, should have started on Joyce and Woolf and should have read lots of things for Renaissance Comedy and Approaches to Texts by now. For the latter I have read the stuff for the first two weeks but every time I read things about Theory I fall asleep. I am not joking. Theory is just boring as shit. And yet I know about its importance. And I know it is interesting. It's just that reading texts about theory makes me sleepy. Not my only problem. I often lack motivation and self-discipline. I knew this was coming, I didn't think it was coming so fast, though.

And yet, none of this is much of a problem. My biggest advantage is that I have time! I am not in a hurry to rush through my studies just to earn a degree. No, I can take my time and actually concentrate on my studies and really look into things as much as I want. Time is on my side!

What I mean is, that my first decision will have to be made in January, as that is the month that I have to register for my exams at the latest. By then I will be able to judge whether or not I will sit any of them in 2012 or not. If not, then I will sit them all in 2013. Or maybe I will just take 2 exams next year and the other 2 the year after that. But I am not in a position where I have to stress myself completely so that I could sit all 4 of them in 7 months.

Then again, 7 months is a long time. Considering, however, that I really want to dig deep into the matter of literature and not only scratch on the surface, 7 months is nothing. I could probably spend 7 months only dealing with one book, for example Homer's Iliad or Milton's Paradise Lost. But I gotta deal with some 20 books and 6 plays and lots and lots and lots of secondary readings. That would be about 4 books per month or a book every week. Considering this, a week is not a lot of time to read a book and then dig into the secondary literature.

Of course you might ask now, why I had not started reading earlier, when I already knew that I would do this course and already were aware of the books that I'd have to read. Guess what, I have asked myself the same thing. And then again, it is ok the way it is. Because I had to deal with many other things within the last 12 months, among them getting through a phase of depression and solving a not so easy martial situation. And the last 12 months were awesome! I have traveled for 4 months out of these 12, visited 6 countries, thought a lot about my life and my family, successfully finished a TESOL Certificate with an above average grade, reconciled with my husband and most of all had fun! All this has benefitted my current situation, as I constantly learn about the important things in life, I learn how to be relaxed, how to deal with stressful situations, how to focus on the things I like.

Now all these things are great and my situation could hardly be any better - except the physical separation from my husband - and yet all I lack is motivation and discipline. Or am I? It's not as if I were not doing anything for my studies. No, I do stuff every day. I read and I write and I learn. But then I get distracted for hours on end. I do not think this is too bad, though. I just do stuff at my own pace and not the pace that others try to make me go. Maybe I should try not to get distracted too much by stupid internet sites like facebook, 9gag or lolsnaps. Other distractions are even more fun and are better for the soul: Going for a walk, hanging out with friends, listening to a great piece of music.

Then again, I am always proud when I have accomplished a study-related task, such as working on a difficult chapter, digitalizing my notes, finishing a book, etc.

I would not want to do it any other way. Otherwise I'd do it differently!

Yours sincerely,

Kris

Starting the Studies

2011-09-25T22:48:00.000+02:00

Beloved reader,

once I had received all my books I was quite ready to start.

Well, not quite. I read the instructions in the student handbook and I worked on some chapters in "The Arts Good Study Guide" (which was really helpful). Of course I could have just begun reading one book after the other but I began by making a time schedule. I looked into my calendar at how many weeks I have until my final exams, then I deducted 4 weeks for revision. Before creating a reading plan I had to make a choice of books that I would work on in Explorations 1 and 2. For the Units Approaches to Texts and Renaissance Comedy I will follow the suggested study syllabus in the handbooks. Once I decided on the books I scribbled down a first version of my study syllabus. This syllabus I revised some days later and this is what it looks like now:

Studies begin on 2011-09-19

Explorations in Literature 1

Weeks 1-4: Author Study: Homer "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey"
Weeks 5-6: Single Text Study: Virgil "The Aeneid"
Weeks 7-10: Comparative Study: Chaucer "The Canterbury Tales" and (unknown) "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"
Weeks 11-13: Author Study: Plato "The Republic" and "Symposium"
Weeks 14-17: Author Study: Marlowe "Dr Faustus" and "The Jew of Malta"
Weeks 18-19: Single Text Study: Dante "The Inferno"
Weeks 20-21: Single Text Study: More "Utopia"
optional: Weeks 22-24: Author Study: Shakespeare "Hamlet" and "The Tempest"

Explorations in Literature 2

Weeks 1-2: Single Text Study: Conrad "Heart of Darkness"
Weeks 3-6: Comparative Study: Joyce "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" and Woolf "Mrs. Dalloway"
Weeks 7-9: Single Text Study: Milton "Paradise Lost"
Weeks 10-11: Single Text Study: Morrison "Beloved"
Weeks 12-15: Author Study: Dickens "Hard Times" and "Great Expectations"
Weeks 16-18: Author Study: Beckett "Waiting for Godot" and "Endgame"
Weeks 19-20: Single Text Study: Fielding "Joseph Andrews"
optional: Weeks 21-22: Comparative Study: Austen "Pride and Prejudice" and Bronte "Jane Eyre"

All in all I have 28 weeks for the studies from now on until April, then 4 weeks for revision and then the exams in May. To cover all the essential reading I will, according to my plan, need 20/21 weeks which leaves 7/8 weeks that I can add here or there for further intense studying or exam practice. This is a really tight schedule so far but it is manageable. I have tried to combine longer books with shorter ones during the same weeks, for example The Iliad and Heart of Darkness, to make sure to have enough time to read the books.

Besides these two syllabi I will follow the ones for Approaches to Text and Renaissance Comedy. They are also designed for 20 weeks of intense studying.

My daily schedule will be the following: Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are devoted to work. If I have time, I will do some primary reading on these days.

On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays I will devote 8 hours on studying every day. And I will try to work on 2 units every day. So, for example on a Thursday 4 hours on Explorations 1 in the morning and 4 hours on Approaches to Text in the afternoon. On a Friday I would work on Explorations 2 in the morning and Renaissance Comedy in the afternoon.

One of the good things about my studies is that I am not place bound so that I can read at home, on the train, in a tea house, on the plane, in the library or elsewhere. Therefore I can also for example combine shopping trips with listening to audio books or I can watch podcast lectures (for example from Yale or Stanford University, that are available through iTunes) on my Notebook while I am traveling.

Well, I hope I can more or less follow this schedule. I know I have to focus on working and try not to get distracted too much by the internet or other things. And I am aware of the fact that I have to do a lot of things within a limited time frame. But I also know that people have passed their exams when they only focused on 6 or 7 books per Unit instead of 10. So I am not too worried about not finishing the schedule.

I have to admit, however, that now, at the end of week one, I have worked on Explorations 1 and 2 a lot but have not yet done anything for Renaissance Comedy and Approaches to Texts. I have, however, obtained all the secondary reading material for both units which is already worth a lot and took up quite some time. I will talk about secondary literature and university libraries in another post.

Yours sincerely,

Kris

P.S: Talking about notebooks: For the beginning of my studies I have treated myself with a little gift. A new laptop. It is about time for one as the old one keeps on making trouble. Therefore I spared no expense and ordered one of the newest and best equipped 13'' MacBook Airs. I cannot wait to hold it in my hands! Apple just takes some time to deliver it. Well, within the next 10 days it should be here.

P.P.S: Thank you Rhea and Sumit for the comments on my last post.

Getting ready to start

2011-09-11T03:35:00.001+02:00

Beloved reader,

after enrolling with the University of London and completing registration, which I described in the last post, it took about four days until I received the study material, consisting of the handbooks (one for each Unit), the study guide, a collection of former exam papers (of 2008 an 2009) and a really helpful book called "The Arts Good Study Guide". The latter I can recommend everyone who is about to start studying, be it via distance learning or at a brick and mortar university.

One important thing, that I have not yet received, which was supposed to be included in this 'welcome package', is a student card. I just recently found out that the UoL did not even give these to their distance learning students for some reason or other (well, no official reason given), but that they decided - after the students had protested - to start issuing student IDs.

The next step for me was to order the books for primary reading for the four foundation units. The UoL provided a very detailed reading list that suggested, not dictated, various editions of the books. Some books. I noticed, I had already had at home. Others I needed to buy. It is always a big pleasure of mine to surround myself with books and to go book shopping, therefore the research that ensued was quite some fun for me.

First of all I checked out the German amazon homepage. I looked up the various editions, that were mentioned in the reading list, and then took a closer look at the books. Fortunately, nowadays amazon provides a preview of most the books so that you can check out the index, introduction and the first pages or so. This helps a lot when buying books online. What was also really helpful in some cases were the recommendations by other readers. Especially when it came to choosing a suitable translation of the ancient epics, such as Homer's Iliad or Virgil's Aeneid. I was able to compare several translations, which is, in my opinion, very important with books like these. There have been published so many translations over the centuries that there is a lot to consider. And with these books it is vital to own a translation that is understandable and yet as close to the original as possible.

Once I had made up my mind about which editions I should by I put them all into the basket in order to find out the price. For all the books - all new ones - I would have spent about 500€. That was too much. So I figured, there needs to be a cheaper way to get the books. I love old and used books but in this case, for my studies, I thought it would be worth buying new copies. So I went to the English amazon homepage and checked and compared the prices there. Fortunately I found most of the books for a much cheaper price, including postage and packing, so that I ordered most of the books in the UK and some of the books in Germany. This way I paid only about 320€, which is, for 32 books, about 10€ per book.

An alternative would have been to buy the books through amazon marketplace, which would have been the cheapest option, I guess. However, mostly used books. Another option would have been to buy an iPad or Kindle and download the books as e-books (most of them for free).

After I had placed my order, I awaited delivery very eagerly. Some of the books were not supposed to be sent out until September 17, however, by now all books have arrived as they were available earlier... Over the last ten days or so, there came a big or small package full of books every day. The last one reached me today.

Here is the result. This is what 4 Units worth of primary reading looks like on one bookshelf. That's quite a lot!

Together with these and the handbooks I am now ready to start!

And to be honest: That are quite a lot of books to read!!

That's it for tonight. Stay tuned.

Yours sincerely,

Kris

P.S: Fortunately I won't have to read all of them!

How and when to enroll?

2011-09-06T20:44:00.001+02:00

Beloved reader,

in my last post I informed you of my reasons to start studying via distance learning, today I want to tell you about my experiences with enrolling at the University of London.

After I had made up my mind that the BA in English would be the perfect program for me, I tried to gather information about how and when to enroll. As with everything else (so far), the homepage provides detailed information on enrollment. (Link) They have a fixed date by when you must have sent in your application and by when registration must be finished in order to sit exams the following year.

I found out about the course some time in November 2010. As the application-deadline for EU-residents is October 17 (non-EU-residents September 17; both dates for BA English. Dates for other courses may vary!) I was about three weeks late for it. Damn it, I thought. What a 'lucky' girl I am. (In hindsight this wasn't too bad after all!) Well, I thought, that will give me enough time to get my life back in order and actually give this course some thought. (Even though I have to admit that I had already made up my mind that this actually WAS what I wanted to study when I first found out about it.)

After disclosing my plans to my family to quit studying in Eichstätt, where I had lived and studied for the past year and then some, I started to fill out the online application form (Link). This is fairly easy when you have all the necessary information and documents ready (i.e. certified translations; scanned documents). If you do not have everything you need, you can just save your application and finish it later. That's what I did. I added bits and pieces of information over the course of time and worked on and rewrote my supporting statement.

Once I was satisfied with everything and had gathered all necessary documentation, I wanted to finish my application, pay the fee and then wait for the University to contact me and tell me that they had accepted my application. So I triple checked every single entry that I made, reread my statement, made sure I had uploaded all necessary files and proceeded to "check out". The only thing left was paying the fee. I typed in my credit card info, clicked "Pay now" and then waited... and waited.. and waited.. until my browser told me "your request could not be processed" (or something like it, whatever browsers tell you when something doesn't work).

Fortunately I had saved the application data before - guess how much it sucks when you fill out a detailed online form and then everything's gone because of a server error. As I wasn't sure whether or not it had worked, I did not reload the page, in order to make sure that they wouldn't charge my credit card several times in case it did work. I decided to wait for some days and try it again later. When I tried it again - some weeks later (this was probably January 2011 already), the same error occurred. So, again, I waited. I gave it several other tries over the course of the following months but it never worked.

As I wasn't under too much time pressure to register, however, I decided only in May to stop trying to apply online and hand in my application by mail. So again I went through the process of filling out forms, gathering documents and preparing the application. By then I was even able to rewrite the statement yet again, as I could add some important study-related information.

Some time in June, after I had mailed out the application I received a letter and an e-mail from the University telling me, that something was missing for processing my application: A transcript of records from the KU Eichstätt where I had studied before. When applying, I had not thought it necessary to send any such thing, as I did not want to skip any Units anyway. Mr Harry Evans, my contact at the admissions office of the University of London, was very helpful in this matter and quickly answered all my questions regarding this document.

So, I found out how to get hold of this transcript of records. The process was fairly easy, only the examination office in Eichstätt took their time. I waited, and waited, and waited, and then waited some more. Finally some time in August I received my copy of this transcript of records. I had the examination office send another copy directly to Mr Evans in order to speed up the progress.

Then again I waited and waited and waited, as I thought the UoL would write me a message once they had received the document. Yet, nothing came, so I contacted them and Mr Evans informed me that they had received it and had already sent me the offer letter via e-mail some week before. In case I couldn't locate this offer in my spam folder (which I couldn't as my spam folder deletes mails after 24 hours) he'd arrange for it to be sent to me again.

Now (it was August 22) I started to get nervous and kept on checking my spam folder every hour or so. Nothing came. Eventually I received the offer letter on August 25. Waiting for three days can be a veeeeeeeeery long time, I assure you!

Once I had received the offer letter I started the online registration progress for my classes - this actually worked - and subsequently I am now enrolled as a student with the University of London! How cool is that, huh?

To sum up my experiences with enrolling: Inform yourself as early as possible about the dates and the necessary requirements, try to get together all necessary documentation, and in case the online registration doesn't work, pen and paper will do just as well!

For me, enrolling was easy but time consuming in a way. Despite all the trouble, it got me where I wanted to be: A student with the UoL International Programme.

That's it for now. Check back to find out in my next post what kind of preparations are necessary and how I tackle them.

Yours faithfully,

Kris

P.S: Always make sure to check your spam folder regularly :-)
P.P.S: I do not know why there was always a server error with the online application. I never cared to inquire. Maybe they have fixed the problem. Or maybe nobody but me has had this problem. Who knows?

What?

2011-09-05T22:02:00.000+02:00

Beloved reader,

this blog shall inform you about the experiences that I encounter with a distance learning Bachelor's degree in English Literature with the University of London. My studies commence ... hmm. well. I can't really tell.

Let's do this thing here from the beginning:

I'm Kris, 25 years old, German, passionate reader, avid photographer and experienced traveler. About 10 months ago I decided - after two and a half semesters - to quit my English and Classical Studies at a brick and mortar university, as that just wasn't the real deal for me. Too much stuff in too short a time, lots of things that wouldn't interest me at all, wrong study techniques (on my side) and mostly personal (subject-related) preferences that did not coincide with the syllabus.

So I quit. And I made up my mind and thought about what I could do instead (not in that order). I thought about something that would give me the chance to study the parts of English that interest me the most. I took some detours in research until I found the University of London's International Program. (Link) And I found out about their BA English Program that sounded just about perfect for me:

Reading a whole lot of interesting books that I can select on my own instead of reading a whole lot of uninteresting books that are mandatory. Writing a final exam in each Unit instead of having to do stupid homework, ridiculous presentations, nerve-wracking portfolios or research papers (ok, I admit, the papers aren't too bad - depending on the subject!) under a whole lot of time pressure in order to obtain a grade. Four in-depth units per year instead of ten or more shallow courses per semester.

What also stuck out was the fact that I - even though I wasn't enrolled yet - could take a look at all the final exams of the last years which gave me a good idea about what I had to do and learn for this course: Perfect!

I am about to embark on this whole new adventure called distance learning and I want to share my experiences with you. I hope to mostly report about happy events and informative topics, I am sure, however, that there will be times of depression (that every student has to face) sometimes where I will wail and complain and curse the University and myself.

And now: It's time to play the music, it's time to light the light. It's time to get things started on my little show, all right?

Please feel free to leave your comments and questions anytime. I want this blog to be interactive.

Yours faithfully,

Kris