William Morris tapestry, Rhodes Center*

Greetings, all! And happy Fourth of July! You know it's the Fourth up our staircase because the giant BBQ is set up on the quad three floors below Alison's room and all the smoke comes in her windows. At 6:30 PM, the Loafers gather for a BBQ, after which four-or-so of us are going out to a movie. For lunch today, we had really yummy fish and chips, apparently a Bread Loaf Fourth of July lunch tradition.

Before I dive into today, I'll say a bit more about the big reason I'm here, my tutorial. Four of us meet with our tutor, named Christine, at her college, Lady Margaret Hall, twice weekly (Tuesday and Thursday at 11:15 AM). It's a twenty minute walk to the college, across a beautiful park. Because lunch is at 1 PM, and we get out of class just before, it's more like a ten minute dash back to Lincoln College during which we cross our fingers lunch is tasty chicken curry over rice, like yesterday.

Because the classes are so small, everyone has a chance to participate. I lucked out, as the three other people in my tutorial (Liz, Caroline, and Scott) are easygoing, smart, funny, and participatory. The four of us get along well with one another, as well as with the tutor. As a result, the first day of class was conversational and entertaining. Before our first class, Christine asked for a volunteer to kick off the next day's discussion of Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," and I volunteered. I read the poem earlier this spring, but this forced me to read it again really carefully the night before class. I'm happy with the result.

This morning, after writing to Ed, I plotted outlines for my two papers (each around 12 pages) due later in the term. To research these papers, I need books held in the bowels of the Bodleian Library system (the Bodleian has so many books, it even uses a nearby salt mine as a book repository because there's no space for them anywhere else and because the salt air is so good for the books). I hop on the Web, use the Bodleian search tool, find what I need, and request that the books be sent (honest-to-gosh on a conveyor belt, very Oompa-Loompa Style) to the reading room of my choice. I picked Radcliffe Camera, and learned that my books would arrive there for me by later this afternoon. Once there, you don't check anything out, rather have access to the books for seven days (after which you can renew them). Tomorrow, I Bodleian-it-up for six hours, reading the books I can't carry away.

After fish-n-chips, I went on a scheduled "William Morris and Victorian England" theme tour of Oxford. Check the Wikipedia link at the bottom of the page for more about William Morris, Oxford alumnus and 19th century artist who really kicked off the Arts and Crafts Movement. Think intricate, leafy, Victorian patterns. Think "do it yourself" movement. Think the "Urban Craft Uprising" of Oxford, circa 1860. If you knit today, you can thank this guy. If you make stuff to give as gifts because you eschew mass-produced gifts you can thank this guy, who did so as a response to the Industrial Revolution. His stamp is all over Oxford.

Of particular interest was a ceiling Morris designed inside the library at Oxford Union. The Oxford Union is home to famous speakers and debates on hot issues. Most international leaders speak at Oxford Union at some point (check out the link to its famous speakers page at the bottom of this page). Morris worked with Dante Rossetti (Wiki page also linked at the bottom of this page) to design an intricate ceiling (see at right the photo I snapped quickly without a flash before I confirmed we were not allowed to take pictures; it really doesn't do justice to the detail) and series of murals. I found an okay picture of the room out on the Web; it's linked at the bottom of this page.

I also learned some fun facts, like the famous "Man versus Monkey" Darwin debate took place at the Natural History Museum I visited the other day.

For the time being, my biggest debate is "chicken or beef?" at the BBQ starting shortly.

Highlights in the coming week include: A neighborhood festival Sunday that sounds like Oxford's version of the Fremont Fair! An all-school outing to Stratford to see "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Monday night! A special-opportunity ticket (I signed up and paid for this one) to see a different production of "Midsummer" at Shakespeare's Globe in London next Thursday night (with time to hit the Tate Modern next door beforehand)! Two class sessions of "Moby Dick"! And more!

Love to all! Have a great holiday!

Addendum: Just back from the BBQ! We ate grilled kebabs and corn on the cob, and a classmate played the National Anthem on her violin. Fourth of July, Bread Loaf style...

* As in Rhodes Scholar! (Their home base.)