Our last LAB of 2010 had the wonderful irrepressible Will Kaufman singing the wonderful irrepressible Woody Guthrie. To a packed house. They were hanging from the power point. What a way to do America! What a way to do History! What is more Will who is a top professor but Who Played Glastonbury, did it for us for free.
Our first LAB of 2011 changed tack and went back to classic origins with Labs and Labbettes simply sitting round a table talking about research. It was a terrific discussion which, typical of the LAB, very quickly sniffed out what matters in what university bosses now call 'the postgraduate experience'. And what matters, when you get down to it, according to NEW HISTORY LAB, is the simple but in fact very complex business of processing words: words that translate archives into data; words that transform data into evidence; words that argue evidence into history, and of course words that turn that history into hard bound theses that pass the test and make it all worthwhile.
A million issues came up - from writer's block to shifting desks, from solitude and loneliness to being bearable to live with, from time management to multi tasking, from how much to read to what to read? and when? and how? with or without pen? or laptop? or forget the history and just read a nice book - for the words.
As postgradute researchers, some of us felt like less than proper persons. Some of us even feared that we were doing less than proper work. We loathe it, but also feel elated by it, and obsessed by it. But whatever the experience, being a postgraduate - whether for a dissertation or a PhD - is a very strange way of life. Ben called it a limbo existence between education and job and yet it seems to demand the most delicate sensitivity to the archive, to the most intensive discipline in the text, and the boldest move through the argument. What's worse, all these processes are connected and you've got to stay nice to your partner. Jack's even having a baby!
There's nowt so queer as historians, so me awld tutor used to say. It is said that Keith Thomas used to put index cards in a shoe box until it was full and when it was full he knew he had a book. Well, he didn't do too bad did he?
This semester promises to be the most exciting LAB ever. What's more they're springing up all over the country. Latest one is at Sunderland and going like a bomb apparently - which is all to the good because Sunderland University library has no history books. Well, a couple. But small intimate LABs like last night's do the business. We do university degrees and hardly a words is said about words. Yet that is what it's all about when you get down to it and boy, do we get down to it.
Friday, 28 January 2011
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Maus by Art Spiegelman
Maus(A Survivor's Tale) by Art Spiegelman-Penguin books.
Maus tells, in pictures, the story of Art Spiegelman's parents and their experiences in World War 11 Warsaw and Auschwitz and then the USA. It also deals with Art's attempt to come to terms with his parents' experience.
This is a highly original book. A first reaction might be that to use a comic strip to tell the story of the Holocaust is strange in itself but there is nothing comic about this comic strip. The drawings and speeech bubbles are quirky but do nothing to take away from the seriousness of the story. In fact, because it is so different it allows the reader to approach the whole thing again almost as though it is the first time they were hearing the story.
Speigelman borrows an idea from Animal Farm and makes his characters into animals. The Jews are mice,the Germans cats,the Poles are pigs and the Americans dogs. Again this helps to make it a new story and removes any presupposed ideas the readers might have. Just occasionally he deviates from this and a photograph of the real human person is shown and this comes as an emotional shock when you turn the page and see it.
Occasionally in the post war section the characters are humans wearing animal masks rather than animals. This is never explained but leaves an impression of the next generation, including the media, trying to make sense of what has happened but posturing and falling into set stances instead.
a grim but unforgettable read.
Maus tells, in pictures, the story of Art Spiegelman's parents and their experiences in World War 11 Warsaw and Auschwitz and then the USA. It also deals with Art's attempt to come to terms with his parents' experience.
This is a highly original book. A first reaction might be that to use a comic strip to tell the story of the Holocaust is strange in itself but there is nothing comic about this comic strip. The drawings and speeech bubbles are quirky but do nothing to take away from the seriousness of the story. In fact, because it is so different it allows the reader to approach the whole thing again almost as though it is the first time they were hearing the story.
Speigelman borrows an idea from Animal Farm and makes his characters into animals. The Jews are mice,the Germans cats,the Poles are pigs and the Americans dogs. Again this helps to make it a new story and removes any presupposed ideas the readers might have. Just occasionally he deviates from this and a photograph of the real human person is shown and this comes as an emotional shock when you turn the page and see it.
Occasionally in the post war section the characters are humans wearing animal masks rather than animals. This is never explained but leaves an impression of the next generation, including the media, trying to make sense of what has happened but posturing and falling into set stances instead.
a grim but unforgettable read.
Monday, 24 January 2011
New programme poster for a New year with the New History Lab!
You can finally stop holding your breath, and watching this space. The day has come when we can reveal the programme for this term.
If you'd all care to click up there ^ in the 'Programme' tab you can see just how pretty the poster is, and the times and dates for everything, but if you're too excited to click I'll give you a run-down here.
Our first lab, in only a few days time is New Year's Research Resolutions - you've all had chance to make and break your personal resolutions by now, so its time to make some academic resolutions!
Next we've got History Idol: Leicester's Got Talent (but don't worry, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan have been banned from appearing). Our competition winner's from our blog-poll give their papers, hosted by Leicester's answer to Dermot O'Ant&Dec, Gavin Freeman!
Following this, A History of Leicester in 10 Objects. This is a joint lab with 'The Attic' our sister group in Museum Studies - if you like material culture, you can't miss it!
We found that a disproportionate amount of our committee enjoyed the tv series, 'Mad Men'. So we've got a double-whammy of a Lab - a screening of two episodes first, and then a group of us wanted to discuss why we love (or hate) the show.
The one that I've personally been waiting years for - Dr Jonathan Foyle abseils in from Tellyland and the World Monuments Fund Britain to talk to us about the part buildings play in conveying history in the 21st Century. *squeeeeeeeee*. You will not be allowed on the front row because Miriam and I have reserved the whole row.
To complete this term's series we have our second celebrity guest, (that's right, count them, SECOND, of the term) Julie Etchingham. Leicester born-and-bred, and the current holder of 'Presenter of the Year', the interviewer becomes the interviewed as our very own Gill Murray puts questions of broadcasting, journalism and women in the media to Julie Etchingham. Exciting stuff!
Be there, or run the risk of being not there!
If you'd all care to click up there ^ in the 'Programme' tab you can see just how pretty the poster is, and the times and dates for everything, but if you're too excited to click I'll give you a run-down here.
Our first lab, in only a few days time is New Year's Research Resolutions - you've all had chance to make and break your personal resolutions by now, so its time to make some academic resolutions!
Next we've got History Idol: Leicester's Got Talent (but don't worry, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan have been banned from appearing). Our competition winner's from our blog-poll give their papers, hosted by Leicester's answer to Dermot O'Ant&Dec, Gavin Freeman!
Following this, A History of Leicester in 10 Objects. This is a joint lab with 'The Attic' our sister group in Museum Studies - if you like material culture, you can't miss it!
We found that a disproportionate amount of our committee enjoyed the tv series, 'Mad Men'. So we've got a double-whammy of a Lab - a screening of two episodes first, and then a group of us wanted to discuss why we love (or hate) the show.
The one that I've personally been waiting years for - Dr Jonathan Foyle abseils in from Tellyland and the World Monuments Fund Britain to talk to us about the part buildings play in conveying history in the 21st Century. *squeeeeeeeee*. You will not be allowed on the front row because Miriam and I have reserved the whole row.
To complete this term's series we have our second celebrity guest, (that's right, count them, SECOND, of the term) Julie Etchingham. Leicester born-and-bred, and the current holder of 'Presenter of the Year', the interviewer becomes the interviewed as our very own Gill Murray puts questions of broadcasting, journalism and women in the media to Julie Etchingham. Exciting stuff!
Be there, or run the risk of being not there!
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