Good course, good course ;-)

[triskellian]

This semester, the early indications are that there are no bad courses. Hooray!

Course: Print and society

Lecturer: not encountered before, but seems very nice (and competent)
Social: have bonded with goth-ish girl who shares my despair about the people she calls "Princesses", and I will have to stop calling "The Pink Girls" because pink evidently isn't fashionable this semester.

(Sample overheard conversation:
NotPinkGirl1: oh god, I don't know if I can stand this [class] for another twelve weeks!
NotPinkGirl2: I know! And Tuesday morning, and I always go out on Monday nights!
Clearly the class is too boring for words, and is presumptuously interfering with her social schedule.)

NotPinkGirls all have blonde hair, or at the very least, blonde streaks, they're very fashion-conscious, they wear lots of makeup but don't care about their hair as long as it's blonde and long, they travel in packs, and they sit at the back of the classroom giggling, chewing gum and doing everything in their power to avoid having to say anything in class. And apparently lots of them take publishing courses (I've encountered them in classes on other subjects, but never in such large numbers).

Subject matter: the history of publishing in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, and how it influenced and was influenced by social change in the same period. Also incorporating the development of books as objects.
Convince-the-students-the-course-is-cool gimmick: handling old books and drawing conclusions about their provenance.

Course: Forensic linguistics

Lecturer: teacher of last semester's Good Course, who is nice, and cool, and remembers me. (And took some of us for a drink at the end of last semester. This is rare at this university.)
Social: three students I know and like. Three! (And hardly any NotPinkGirls ;-)
Subject matter: the analysis of texts connected with legal and criminal matters. Stuff like ransom notes, 999 calls, confessions, police statements.
Convince-the-students-the-course-is-cool gimmick: comparison of a probable Jack the Ripper letter with a probably-not Jack the Ripper letter.

Comments

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

Oooooh... awesome!

I may well still have my copy of "A Book History Reader" lying around, if you want to borrow for the term? (NB may not be in England, but it's possible.)

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

NotPinkGirls all have blonde hair, or at the very least, blonde streaks, they're very fashion-conscious, they wear lots of makeup but don't care about their hair as long as it's blonde and long,

Can you get some phone numbers?

[triskellian]

Finkelstein and McCleery? If so, that would be wonderful, thank you! (And yes even if it's some other "Book History Reader", but that's the one on my reading list.)

(PS, I'm knitting Rogue out of the purple Debblie Bliss donegal tweed, yum! :-)

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

That's the one. Can't promise it's in Oxford (am beginning to lose track of my books these days) but I will have a hunt.

Oooo. I like that Rogue! I am tempted to do the Samus Aran in some purple I have in the house...

[triskellian]

I've been thinking of knitting Samus, too, but I'm gradually reaching the conclusion that the bit I like is the braid, and since that's knit separately the body will be really dull to knit, and I suspect I don't actually like the shape that much. Might steal the braid for something else at some point, though.

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

*envy* *envy*

*picks out greenest of icon collection*

(oh, and hurrah!)

[lathany.livejournal.com]

"The Pink Girls"

If Bea knew how you'd been using that phrase she'd hate you for evermore.

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

I think it's adapted from Nicky Epstein's Knitting on the Edge.

I become tempted by Rogue, which would be bad, because you have it! I think Yarn Monkey is cardiganising it... Ooh. Decisions...

[sumbitch.livejournal.com]

Beatrice and I take great exception to this scurrilous slander of the color pink.

PINK PRIDE! PINK POWER! *shakes pink-clad fist*

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

handling old books and drawing conclusions about their provenance

I so will use this as the kickoff of a Call of Cthulhu game.

All sounds good! Do let us know the highlgihts of what you learn on the forensic linguistics, if it'll help make our ransom notes less of a giveaway.

[triskellian]

It's already been cardiganised - see Rogue mods, and the entry on 14 March at Claudia's blog. The only reason I'm probably* not knitting the cardigan is that I'm a bit short on yardage anyway, and hoping the omission of the pocket will save me, but every metre counts ;-)

(*Started with the sleeves cos I haven't quite made my mind up yet.)

[triskellian]

I'm not criticising any of the individual defining characteristics of the NotPinkGirls (except the sitting at the back avoiding having to say anything), just explaining the methods whereby one might recognise a NotPinkGirl - the accumulation of most or all of these features. There are many perfectly productive members of society who are sadly blighted with one or two of these features... Umm. Whoops. Did I say "sadly blighted"? Umm. I didn't mean that. I'm sure you and Bea are perfectly lovely ;-)

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

Ooooh... if it's a cardigan, and I have wooooooools in the house already, I think I may have to have that. And try not to wear it to the same places as you ;-)

[triskellian]

'S'long as it's not the DB donegal tweed, cos if it is I might protest ;-)

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

Jamieson's Pagan, though I currently have no idea how much I have in the house!

[sumbitch.livejournal.com]

dude, you're so gonna be first up against the wall when the Pink Police come. I'm just sayin'.

[triskellian]

<gets distracted by mental images of being pushed up against walls by pink police>

;-)