AUTUMN 2009 NEWSLETTER OF THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT “NOTED has lost its figure heads” Editorial 3-8 Features 9-14 Theatre 15-34 Film 35-42 Etymology 43-45 Creative Writing 46-47 Contents Editorial 3 Film 35 Department News 4 The English Department Film Club 35 Note from the Director 7 News from the Film Club 36 Filmic Events and Festivals 37 Film Quiz 38 Film Quiz Solutions 39 Cinecurus: Interview 41 Features 9 Doctoral Programme 9 Emma Depledge reports on the module entitled ‘History: Medieval and Early Etymology 43 Modern English Literature and the Question of Periodization’ 10 Venice Through the Looking Glass 11 Creative Writing 46 Theatre 15 To My Milky Way Dream 46 Theatre Schedule 15 Three and a Half Hamlets 16 Impressum 48 Study Trip to London 20 Review of The Winter’s Tale 25 Review of Romeo and Juliet 28 The Comedy That Could Have Been Transformed into a Tragedy... 32 Review of An Ideal Party 34 Editorial Welcome to the 2009-10 academic and if you have any lexicographic year, and the newest edition of NOTED. interests, we would also relish articles I hope your summers were filled with about words, idioms, grammar, and the satisfying pursuits, academic and English language at large. otherwise. This issue marks the turnover Without further ado, please enjoy of the newsletter, as its figureheads this very thespian issue of NOTED. Emma Depledge, Ioana Balgradean, Highlights include an overview of Emma and Michael Röösli hang up their Depledge and Professor Erne’s (editorial) pens, and bequeath the Shakespeare study trip to London and publication unto Arnaud Barras, an MA Stratford-upon-Avon, along with student student in the English Department, and reviews of the Shakespeare plays, me. We look forward to constructing Kareen Klein’s description of a selection and editing the next few issues, and of Hamlets, and an interview with a gladly welcome your contributions, member of Cinecursus. Read on! whether they be poetry, creative writing, book, film or theatre reviews; Susanna Gebhardt 3 Department News Deborah Madsen will still be on leave to congratulate Julianna on the for the autumn semester 2009. completion of her PhD thesis, which explored the Genevan career of the Michael Röösli has left the English 18th-century pastellist, Jean-Etienne Department. Michael was an invaluable Liotard. Julianna will now be writing a member of the Department, contributing PhD on an aspect of the relationship to its many activities and generally between the visual arts and early running the show from behind the modern literature. scenes. His roles included NOTED editor, webmaster and director of the Sarah Brazil has joined the English Film Club, not to mention his Department as an assistant in Medieval inspirational role as an instructor in English Language and Literature. Sarah contemporary literature. His fellow holds a BA in English and Classics and NOTED editors wish him a fond an MA in Medieval English Literature farewell. from University College Dublin. Sarah Van der Laan has left the English Johanna Harris has joined t he Department to take up the position of Department as a maître assistante on a Assistant Professor in Comparative research project directed by Professor Literature at Indiana University, Lukas Erne, Shakespeare and the Book Bloomington. Trade. Johanna gained her BA (Hons) in English Literature and Ancient History Erika Scheidegger has left the English from the University of Sydney, and her Department. NOTED would like to wish MSt and DPhil in English Literature from Erika all the very best for the future. the University of Oxford. Her doctorate examined the letters of Lady Brilliana Julianna Bark h a s j o i n e d t h e Harley and the epistolary genre in Department as an assistant in early early modern England. modern literature. Julianna holds a licence ès lettres from the University of Former Writing Lab monitor Kimberly Geneva and an MA and PhD in Art Gaydon has taken up a position as History from the Institute of Fine Arts at assistant in American literature. New York University. NOTED would like Kimberly holds a BA in Modern 4 Literature from the University of Commission mixte: The Commission California at Santa Cruz, as well as a mixte is a body of students, assistants BA in French and English and an MA in and professors, who meet once a English from the University of Geneva. semester or, if necessary, more often to She wrote her MA thesis on exchange views on Department issues enfreakment in the American fairytale, and ways of addressing them. The The Wizard of Oz, and some of its discussions cover topics such as: the modern reinterpretations. Her PhD Plan d’études; examinations; teaching; thesis will focus on allegories of race, other practical matters. The members of gender, and sexuality and the debates the Commission are: Lukas Erne that surround them in contemporary (president), on behalf of the corps fantasy literature and film. professoral, Valerie Fehlbaum and Erzsi Kukorelly (secretary), on behalf of the NOTED would like to welcome the corps intermédiaire, and Lilia Aghzafi Department’s two new Writing Lab and Arnaud Barras on behalf of the monitors, PhD student, Susanna student body. If you are interested in Gebhardt, and MA student, Arnaud joining the Commission mixte, please Barras. attend the Annual General Meeting of the English Department early in the Student Activities spring term. NOTED has lost its figureheads. Emma Depledge, Michael Röösli and Ioana CUSO Doctoral programme in Balgradean are stepping down as English Language and Literature editors of the English Department A doctoral workshop on Theory, entitled newsletter. As of this issue, Susanna “Genealogies of Modern Literary Gebhardt and Arnaud Barras are taking Theory” took place at the Nietzsche over as editors. Haus, Sils-Maria (Engadine) from 31 August - 3 September, 2009. The English Department's theatre group, Barbe-à-Papa, performed their latest A special module, entitled ‘Literature piece, An Ideal Party, on April 4 and 5, and the Environment’ will be hosted by 2009. the University of Geneva from 16-18 October, 2009. The chief organiser is Anna Iatsenko and BA student Lilia Dr Martin Leer. Aghzafi have taken over the running of the Film Club. 5 Scholarships for Students Other news Bourses de mobilité de la Fondation Plan d’études change Ernest Boninchi The Conseil de Faculté has approved a This support programme addresses new 90-credit MA, i.e. five modules students of Swiss nationality who cannot instead of six, with a mémoire worth 30 finance their research project on their credits instead of 48: this will avoid an own, and who have either successfully overlap for students wishing to take the finished at least two years' study or are MAS (teacher-training MA), since they doctoral students at the University of will be able to complete their MA Geneva. Students who receive this within one and a half years. mobility grant need to stay enrolled at the University of Geneva and return to The Semaine portes ouvertes pour les finish their studies. Students from all collégiens will take place from Faculties are eligible. See the November 26 to December 8, 2009. Department website for further details. All 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-year students from all the Collèges de Genève Bourse Thomas Harvey (approximately 7,000 students) will be The Thomas Har vey scholarship required to attend this information week provides up to Sfr. 2,000 every year for at various Faculties. There will be 1,600 a student to travel to an English- students visiting the Faculté des lettres in speaking country for purposes of study conjunction with the Faculté de and research. Applicants must be of médecine, i.e. students will spend either Swiss nationality and have completed mornings or afternoons in the Medical at least two semesters of study at the Faculty, alternating with our Faculty. University of Geneva. Doctoral students are also Studying abroad eligible. Applications (in the form of a Language Assistant Programme (LAP) in letter describing the project and the United Kingdom estimating anticipated expenses) should Students of French mother-tongue from be submitted to the director of the the French-speaking part of English Department by December 30, Switzerland, aged between 21 and 30, 2009. who are already graduate students or have studied at the University of Geneva for at least four semesters (two academic years) by the time they go abroad, can benefit from a sponsored 6 programme to teach French in the These should normally be BA students United Kingdom. Requirements are a intending to spend all or part of their good general education, a certain third year of study abroad. A number amount of proficiency in French and of ERASMUS places may be made English and the ability to work with available to English Department young people. More detailed students through ETI exchanges. The information and electronic versions of number of places and the universities the application forms are available via where these places are available are the Department website, or directly made known in the spring of each year. f r o m M s R e n a t a L e i m e r : ERASMUS places in the UK will be [email protected] . assigned competitively, based on There are also 20 assistant posts students' average grade in English available for German mother-tongue students. The conditions and the For more information, please consult deadline are the same as indicated the webpage of the ERASMUS above. Interested candidates should programme of International Relations consult the Department website, or http://www.unige.ch/intl/erasmus/, contact Eric Haerbeli, acting especially the section for students of the coordinator of the LAP programme in University of Geneva considering a stay the English Department.