All entries for Tuesday 28 February 2006
February 28, 2006
Tuesday, 28 February
Presentation seemed to be a success. When I read it through on the bus this morning I realised that it could do with being a couple of minutes longer, so I hared into the computer room to tack on an extra two-hundred words to the script and scrape together a hasty supplement for my handout. I drew all of the other MA students, PhD student extraordinaire Conor 'C-Man' Whately as well as Zahra Newby, Penny Goodman, Simon Swain and Dan Orrells. Carlo turned up as we were leaving the room, thinking it was at one 'o' clock rather than noon — I assured him that he missed nothing he hadn't already read from my essay last term.
I think that I was able to keep everything intelligible for the class [of whom no-one really knew anything about Petrarch] and I fielded a hatful of questions afterward [sounding, I think, like I genuinely knew what I was talking about] prompting a discussion of maybe twenty minutes. Zahra also remarked favourably on my slick-looking handout in 10 pt Arial. It may be that I give a follow-up presentation [possibly on the subject of my current chapter — that is, focusing on the influence of Servius in the process of this imitation] at the PhD open day on 18 May.
Have added to my chapter a pitiful total of about 150 words in over two hours this afternoon. I plan to spend all of tomorrow [or at least, the parts when I'm not translating for Greek or working at the — sigh — BioMed Grid] moving this awful thing towards its elusive conclusion.
Now, I have to go. Masterchef, you understand.