Ananizapta

Initial reminder of the online course about mediaeval magic practices came from Oxford University yesterday, sadly just by email, not by Owl Post*.  Email contained links to the short course handbook, reading list, and such.  How to cite and how not to.  (Am already practicing, although have not yet studied the Harvard ‘Cite Them Right’ method as their grammar is irritating.  I expected more; could Harvard not ‘Cite Them Correctly’?  Even in titles?)  Nit-picking aside, course runs for 10 weeks, and requires at least 10 hours of study per week.  One 500 word assignment midway through and a final 1500 word essay at the end.  Pass or fail, no prisoners. Google Chrome is advised for the lectures – or as we Oxford types call them, ‘tutes’.  (Strictly speaking these will be lectures, not tutes, but am applying artistic license as am tragically over-excited as am in dire need of intellectual stimulation).  Best of all is, online access to The Bodleian Library.  Be still my beating heart.  Pending logon and password, due next week; then ‘Sim sala bim!’, foresee glorious mediaevally-minded rabbit holes being pulled out of mediaeval hats.  The Bodleian is a glittering group of twenty-three libraries.  Twenty-three.  For an actual library card, you must be there in person. 

Have never been to Oxford, and it’s on the list.  Bet it’s a great pre-Christmas city.  Is that a flying spell being magically mediaevally conjured?  Abracadabra.  Late November weekend?  On the train, in a Harry Potteresque fashion, sans ear wax jelly beans.  Can smell the books already.  Have a few other commitments before then, but the way the world is going, I say ‘Quidnam inferorum’**.  Board at Rewley House with the other wannabees, maybe do one of Oxford’s creative writing weekends.  Feel sparkly as a magician’s assistant.  Don’t care that that’s pathetic.   

Ananizapta

*‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ Rowling, J.K. Bloomsbury 1997 Chapter 1.

Cite Them Right

Sim Sala Bim

**"Quidnam inferorum" translates to "What the hell?" or literally "What of the underworld?" in Latin.