It's Summer, and I am starting a Book Club

YES. –A real book club. I don’t care that it is an old lady activity. I have invited several friends from my favorite English class (British and American Literature from 1660-1865), my professor and graduate teaching assistant included, and they are super interested! 

My professor’s name is Dr. Charles Scruggs and he is simply fabulous and has one of the most brilliant minds I have ever encountered. He is in his late 70’s, wears suspenders, is a former bee-keeper, tells hilarious jokes, and finds the sexual innuendo in absolutely everything. He is my dream of a funny old man.

Anyway we will be reading two Gothic novels suggested by Dr. Scruggs: one he has read, and one he has not. If you are interested in reading them too we are reading Horace Walpole’s Castle of Otranto (1764) and Ann Radcliffe’s The Italian (1797). 

Ann Radcliffe

Horace Walpole

I have been looking up book club etiquette sites and thinking of appetizer-like snacks or treats to make for the first meeting in July. Any ideas? I plan to include out of town people by way of Skype! I am hoping to take pictures and maybe even record discussions. I am in love with this idea. It is something to look forward to beyond summer classes and the burning Tucson sun.

May the 4th be with you

That is when you say, "and also with you!"
After pulling two all nighters writing a total of 25 pages I am taking a mental vacation by watching TV tonight. I do have a final in two days, but I will push that worry on to tomorrow.

On another note, I attended my last day of classes today before finals begin and I am going to truly miss this semester. I fell in love with literature again and I hope to carry forward my love for the texts I read this semester by continuing to read the authors in the future.

-Goodnight