10: Made Ill by Poetry

I was an English major at Michigan State University in 1993 and I had been reading and researching 17th century Welsh poet Katherine Philips at the Library of Congress, the British Library, the Bodleian Library, the National Library of Wales and the University of Wales. Her genre was female romantic friendship poetry and I wasContinueContinue reading “10: Made Ill by Poetry”

9: Poetry, Mothers, and Priories

(The building on the left is the original monastery and the building on the right is the add-on hospital.) So, this non-Catholic girl goes to the Anglican nation of Great Britain to study a 17th century poet and got tripped up on the lingering Catholic vocabulary. I had been seeking poet Katherine Philips at theContinueContinue reading “9: Poetry, Mothers, and Priories”

8: Choosing dissertations over meals at the University of Wales

I was at the University of Wales and a very kind Welshwoman librarian had just brought a dissertation out of storage that I desperately wanted a copy of. I asked her where the photocopier was in the library. “Photocopier?” she asked doubtfully. The dissertation sat on the book truck between us. “Yes.” “We don’t haveContinueContinue reading “8: Choosing dissertations over meals at the University of Wales”

5: Walking in the footsteps of vacationing Romanovs: The National Library of Wales Part One

When I had finished everything I could do at the British library, it was time to move into Philips’s own backyard: Wales. I took the bus to “Aber” as it is affectionately known: Aberystwyth. It’s a good-ish long train and then bus journey from London through trees that completely cover tiny country roads. At theContinueContinue reading “5: Walking in the footsteps of vacationing Romanovs: The National Library of Wales Part One”

4: My time at the Bodleian Library, Oxford University. Harry Potter’s library!

In 1993, I had the privilege of doing research at four libraries in Great Britain. One was the Bodleian Library, Oxford University. I was geeking out on 17th century poet Katherine Philips. #englishmajor The Bodleian was used as the library set in the Harry Potter movies. I was very excited to find out that theContinueContinue reading “4: My time at the Bodleian Library, Oxford University. Harry Potter’s library!”

16: The story of the cross-continental trip in three vegan vignettes

The trip was an adventure. Let me tell you the story of our country as I experienced it that spring in three food vignettes Nebraska We stopped just into Mountain Time in Oglala, Nebraska and went to a restaurant that served Mexican food and, importantly! given our road-weariness, beer. My vegan traveling companions asked, “AreContinueContinue reading “16: The story of the cross-continental trip in three vegan vignettes”

14: Cataloging fact #5: It provides nursing home insurance

During my last semester of library school, I helped friends move from Lansing to Portland, Oregon. This required taking my Cataloging final six days early. It earned me nursing home insurance. Let me explain. In order for my friend to arrive in Portland in time to start her new job, we had to leave onContinueContinue reading “14: Cataloging fact #5: It provides nursing home insurance”