“Context, convention, and circumstance are all…”

Minus the plummy English accent, this could be me talking to me, reminding myself not to be such a pedant about language.  But it’s the wonderful Stephen Fry talking to all of us about being transported by the giddy, euphoric bliss at the sound-sex of words.  If I ever teach again, I think I’ll show this on the very first day of class.

Hat tip to Matt Gold.

Comments

[DaveH]

Wonderful, Lance. Apparently, this is an excerpt from a longer presentation that can be heard at Mr. Fry's site. See YouTube.
Not too far off topic; have you ever listened to e.e. cummings non-lectures? Delightful.

[Dave MB]

This is an excuse to plug Fry's book The Ode Not Taken, which is a guide and encouragement to writing (metered, probably rhymed) poetry as a hobby and means of personal expression.

Lance, have you written about why you are not currently teaching? It seems to me to be a loss to the profession, whatever your reasons.

[actor212]

As we are plugging, one of the most delightful word plays I've ever heard was between Fry and Hugh Laurie (of "House" fame, among many, many other roles), about the word "gay"

[Lance Mannion]

Dave MB, thank you. Very kind of you to say so. I've been thinking it's time for me to get back into the game. Know of any openings for adjuncts?

[Dave MB]

I don't, I'm afraid -- I teach computer science and I'm not in touch for the job market in, say, English. At UMass Amherst, where I work, the freshman English writing course is taught by armies of very low-paid, though unionized, graduate students rather than by adjuncts. Turnover seems to be pretty high for faculty of all kinds at our community colleges, which given their insanely high teaching loads (and relatively low pay) is not all that surprising.