Wednesday 16 February 2011

Wednesday conundrum

One of the problems of subscribing to the otherwise wonderful London Review of Books is that it keeps bringing to my attention books that I really, really want and of which I wouldn't otherwise have heard. Such as the Oxford University Press 2-volume Complete Works of Gerrard Winstanley, the (temporarily) most radical thinker and activist of the Civil War period - in some senses the father of English communism and eco-activism.

The only slight wrinkle is that it's £189. What do you think?

Meanwhile, it's a great day of teaching: Milton and then Raphael Selbourne's coming to talk about his very interesting novel - set in The Dark Place - Beauty. After that, it's the school's prize-giving ceremony, or as I like to call it, The Montgomery Burns Awards for Excellence in the Field of Excellence (and plagiarism).

Actually, that sounds far too bitter: last year's graduates were stunningly good (I'm looking at you, Ed, amongst many others), and they deserve recognition - it's just that this particular event seems a little disorganised.

3 comments:

Zoot Horn said...

Marvellous as he is, I would hang on to my cash and try to get it 2nd hand - or at least have a good look at a copy first. I've got a 1955 History of the Levellers that you can have for a mere £169. I've also got one of their albums that I'll throw in as a freebie.

The Plashing Vole said...

Ho ho ho. I had to accompany my sister to a Levellers gig once. Awful.

There is no 2nd-hand copy: this is the first edition ever, and doubtless the last! Trying to get the library to purchase it…

ed said...

Hehe, I'm up for a Montgomery! I think it's for best hair...