Okay, I admit, the knitting hiatus isn't going perfectly. I did sort of start making fish for a second fish blanket--but only once in a while, and only in my free time. And I did wash a bunch of yarn from recycled sweaters yesterday, but that was only so that it could start drying, I swear.
Just as a bit of proof that I really am doing things other than knitting and blogging, this is a photo of my shelf at the honors center. (I did threaten to post one.) My advisor, Prof. Casey, is a man after my own heart--he is a collector of many things, including t-shirts, guitar amplifiers, and dachsund paraphernalia. I have a feeling that's part of why every time I meet with him, I seem to walk away with five or six new books, half of which are, "You know, if you have time . . ." Would that I were so deluded dedicated.
At any rate, I'm not reading all of those books. Actually, apart from the plays, the only book I've read cover to cover is one called Dionysiac Poetics in Euripides' Bacchae, by Charles Segal. Mostly I'm just reading one or two articles from the rest, and there are quite a few I'm sure I won't get around to at all, although there are some I really should.
Honestly, the main reason I talk about knitting and house sitting and trying not to get hit by cars is that when you're a Humanities student, doing research is really, really boring. You sit down, and you read. Then you read some things about the thing you just read. If you're lucky, you might even read some things about the things about the thing you just read. (This is how I spent my evening, in fact.)
The other reason is that, while I find Dionysus and Greek tragedy utterly* fascinating, I can pretty much guarantee most of you won't care about my excitement in discovering that the festival at Athens where the tragedies were performed is based on a myth that is really similar to the plot of Euripides' Bacchae, only with gender roles curiously inverted.
I mean, I'm guessing that I have maybe three readers right now, and I don't want to scare them away. Although, since I'm about to start writing, that may have to happen. Um. Hey, look some funny yarn!
(While it was being washed, this yarn looked like nothing so much as a huge pot of ramen. It still does, actually.)
* Not sarcastic italics.
Comments (4)
You know, it's funny how many knitters would also be interested in hearing about Greek tragedy, history, and criticism. So many of us are into the humanities at a critical (graduate) level. (In fact, I want to write a paper about this.) Post on! Enjoyable read.
Posted by Slauditory | June 28, 2007 10:51 PM
Posted on June 28, 2007 22:51
Wow--that's good to know. I can generally only go so long before an obscure Cicero joke slips out. It's a curse. (Classics major--I have a love-hate relationship with Cicero.)
At any rate, this project is eating my life, so I'm sure it'll keep showing up here.
Posted by Emma | June 28, 2007 11:27 PM
Posted on June 28, 2007 23:27
And then there's me, who actually wants to know the plot of Euripidies' Bacchae as soon as I finish Dante's Paradisio. It's not in verse, is it?
(E-mail me. Rawr.)
Posted by Etto | June 29, 2007 3:09 AM
Posted on June 29, 2007 03:09
Well, parts of it are, but that's just the form of Greek tragedy. If you're reading in translation, you'll be fine. (I'm assuming you haven't gone out and learned Greek since we last talked. I would be jealous, because I've been wrestling with it for almost a year now, and I'm not even close to reading Euripides.)
I'll send you an e-mail later today, I promise! I'm sorry it's taken me so long . . . bad Emma.
Posted by Emma | June 29, 2007 12:29 PM
Posted on June 29, 2007 12:29