three links

It feels like there have been a lot of distractions around lately, so I thought why not share some of these distractions with the world?

Firstly, a list of books mentioned or read on the Gilmore Girls! This is a fun reading challenge idea as well. For fellow Gilmore Girls fans- enjoy! I found it through Book Dirt.

Secondly, Ronni's boyfriend has started a blog with another medievalist friend about the Anglo-Saxon riddles, called The Riddle Ages. Since uni ended I haven't been reading much Old English at all, and I miss it, so I'm hoping that this blog sticks around. The riddles are largely found in the Exeter Book, a manuscript which also contains most (all?) of the poems known as the elegies- which are my particular favourites- and some riddles have similarities with the elegies. They can be very poetic, and there is the added fun of trying to solve the riddles. I'm looking forward to reading a discussion of the possible solutions. So far there is an introduction to Old English riddles and Old English text and translations of three riddles. Definitely worth a look, especially if you're interested in Medieval literature.

Thirdly, and perhaps my favourite, is this blog about Sydney- particularly its history, its hidden and forgotten spots. I found Mirror Sydney through a tweet about this post on 'memorial stores': "shops that are no longer open but remain a part of the street, quietly anachronistic." It's a chronicle of pyschogeography, urban exploration and history. The author, Vanessa Berry, also has a blog called Biblioburbia, a blog about Sydney libraries.

I don't know how interesting this is to people who don't live in Sydney- do I just love reading these things because it's my home? I do love reading about cities- I particularly enjoy urban fantasy set in London with lots of London history and geography wrapped up in it- but I rarely read these more personal and detailed perspectives. The one London blog I really enjoy is Everyone in Dalston is Weird, which kind of reminds me of my own home, but is sadly not very regularly updated. So Sydneysiders, nostalgic ex-Sydneysiders, and anyone interested in having a glimpse into life in Sydney, I highly recommend Mirror Sydney.

Comments

  1. Alex18/3/13 19:49

    Thanks for the riddle blog link. I have a project on the go that will take me into the world of Medieval Literature next academic year, so I hope this will still be around then.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Catie19/3/13 20:27

      Ooh, what is your project? I'm hoping the blog sticks around too- I really enjoy having a regular dose of medieval literature.

      Delete
  2. Ronni8/4/13 05:24

    Just one thing about the riddle blog - it's actually the shared project of my boyfriend and another medievalist friend of ours. They each take it in turns to post Modern English translations or commentaries on particular riddles.

    I hope they keep it up, because it's a pretty nifty idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Catie11/4/13 22:48

      Thanks for pointing that out! I will update the post.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous24/4/13 20:31

    so share some riddles...
    I'm hanging out.
    D.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Catie25/4/13 22:46

      Have a look at the link! There are quite a few up there already :)

      Delete

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