Severed Heads and Sunken Statues
At some point in every conversation about my postgraduate research on seventeenth-century political culture, I am forced to admit that a massive chunk of it looks at criminal executions and the public display of severed body parts. Eyebrows raise. I receive a wonderful mix of reacting stares, usually falling somewhere between bemusement and disgust. And then I have to explain why.
Are There Any Questions: Contributing and Speaking in Seminars
Discovering how I needed to prepare for seminars, changed my experience of them. I still have days where perfectionism will whisper its doubts in my ear but the voice is quieter. There will always be someone in my class who intimidates me but I’ve learned that their insight doesn’t devalue my own. In fact, it helps me grow and it motivates me to share my thoughts in the hope they might spark an idea in another.
Dissertations: or, the Art of Knowing Yourself
On the last day of my final year of Secondary School, my English class teacher gave us all little good-luck cards, which was very sweet. On the inside of mine, and in flawless fountain-pen calligraphy, she wrote: “Dear Stuart, wishing you the greatest fortune. Remember ‘This above all – to thine own self be true’”. Following this seemingly excellent instruction, I came to the University of Glasgow to study English Literature, where I quickly learned that the character who spoke these immortal Shakespearian lines wasn’t, perhaps, the most reliable source of advice.
The (not-so) Straight Road to Research
It was during this reflection that I realised, nothing in my research had really gone according to plan – it had not gone wrong, but it had certainly gone different.
Engaging with research from home
Over the summer break, it’s important to take time to rest and relax; however, it can also be an opportunity to engage with research, especially this year when many of us will find ourselves stuck inside much more than we had hoped to. There are lots of ways you can stay up to date with or get involved with research, all from the comfort of your home.
Adding Up the Difference: Vivienne Malone-Mayes
In the canons of both English Literature and the history of Mathematics, a lot of emphasis is traditionally placed on “pale, male, and stale” figures. Empowering silenced voices to address institutional violence suffered by marginalised people has never been more important. Stuart Taylor shares the following story of a mathematician in their institutional and historical context.
Conceptualising epidemics before modern medicine
Medicine today operates under the germ theory of disease, which simply means that we understand diseases to be caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, to name a few.
The invisible enemy and the language of illness
Is it helpful to discuss ‘redeployment’ rather than ‘placement’ into different health roles, or might military imagery be anxiety-inducing for the people being unwittingly conscripted into a health service army? Do declarations of ‘war’ against the virus help to instil a sense of gravity, urgency, and a keep-calm-and-carry-on attitude amongst the public, or do they simply lead to war-time levels of panic-buying and loo-roll hoarding?
From isotopes and religion to Learning and Teaching
Dr Jessica Bownes and Dr Maxinne Connolly-Panagopolous discuss how they use their PhD research in their ELA roles
Knowledge is Power
Creative Writing miniseries:
Lucy Dunn wrote this story in a creative writing workshop. The class gave her feedback and she went away to edit this story before submitting her final version to the blog. The workshop series was all about teaching the importance of editing.