English Honours Programme: Information

Dr. Stephen Collis is hosting an information session for the Honours Programme on Monday June 8th at 1:30pm in AQ 6093.

The Honours programme is an excellent embellishment to an English degree, and an enjoyable experience to boot. The Department's online link is here.

"Canadians" poem

Courtesy of classfellow R.H, an apposite poem by Miriam Waddington.

Canadians

Here are
our signatures:
geese, fish, eskimo
faces, girl-guide
cookies, ink-drawings
tree-plantings, summer
storms and winter
emanations.

We look
like a geography but
just scratch us
and we bleed
history, are full
of modest misery
are sensitive
to double-talk double-take
(and double-cross)
in a country
too wide
to be single in.

Are we real or
did someone invent
us, was it Henry
Hudson Etienne Brûlé
or a carnival
of village girls?
Was it
a flock of nuns
a pity of indians
a gravyboat of
fur-traders, professional
explorers or those
amateurs map-makers
our Fathers
of Confederation?

A Multiculturalism Acid Test?

Ripped from today's headlines, the comments sections are here some type of forum for the voice of demos on the multiculturalism doctrine, and thus some empirical material (albeit of a certain--though definable-- selection) to contextualise aspects of the course texts.

• The CBC
• The Toronto Globe & Mail
• The National Post

Margaret Atwood & Polemic

In light of one of the Project group's topic, and our course non-fiction (but not-non-literary) text by Margaret Atwood, here is a link to a blog post from a prvious course on Ms. Atwood's recent high-profile polemical engagement on the question of taxpayer funding for the Arts in Canada.

Course Reading Break

A Reading Week is a great idea: opportunity during Term to read the course texts for the second time through.

Accordingly, there is no lecture or tutorial in English 357 on May 19th (Monday the 18th being of course Queen Victoria day.)

Victoria's Day

We're about to enjoy a holiday in honour of Queen Victoria. Tallying up her vestigial influence on Canada is an inexhaustible pastime -- Victoria, Alberta, Prince Edward Island, Prince Albert, New Westminster, Regina and many many more were all named in her honour, for a start. Canada, from its 1867 confederation, is a Victorian nation at birth.

I came across this oblique & tendentious article in the Telegraph on the predominance of women at the political head of England following on from Victoria's eminent sixty-four year regnancy:

Have you noticed that modern Britain is the most matriarchal society in the history of the world? The four most famous figures in the public service since the war have been women - the Queen Mother, the Queen, Diana, Princess of Wales and Margaret Thatcher.

Course Website FAQ

Here are FAQ about the course website.

• The 5 most recent posts are displayed on the main page.
• A permanent link list, entitled "Pertinent & Impertinent" is always visible on the sidebar of the course website, containing direct links to crucial information.
• Also on the sidebar, always visible, is the "Blog Archive" displaying direct links to all posts on the course website.
• The "Blog Archive" has sections for years 2009 and 2007. Our course links are under the 2009 section. The 2007 archive is for a previous iteration of the course which may, or may not, be interesting for you.
• An "Older Posts" hotlink is always visible at the bottom of the main page which displays the next 5 most recent posts.
• Certain PowerPoint lecture slides are occasionally posted on the course website.