Anne Lister PhD update

Subject: Anne Lister PhD update
From: Anne Lister
Date: 30 Mar 19 - 05:43 PM

Just to let Mudcatters who don't follow my Facebook posts know - my PhD thesis was accepted this week. The title is "The medieval romance of Jaufre - a storyteller's perspective". The content includes a detailed examination of the manuscripts and a discussion of the circumstances in which it was probably created and performed, consideration of evidence for it being orally derived or transmitted, a comparison of some of the motifs and themes within the story which make it such a fascinating story and finally an account of my telling the story (in English) to a variety of audiences and their reactions to it.
It will in due course be uploaded to ORCA (open access) but the copyright is held by the university. I'm considering whether and how to turn it into a book, and will be writing an adaptation of the story for a non-academic readership. If any 'Catters would like to know more, message me here or via FB.
In the meantime, I'm happy to be called "The Doctor" and will be acquiring a suitable sonic screwdriver. Available for storytelling and singing and workshops, too.

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 30 Mar 19 - 05:53 PM

Congratulations!

Does this mean you get to wear
a gown and mortarboard with a hood,
and attend graduation in the spring? / summer?

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: Mrrzy
Date: 30 Mar 19 - 06:04 PM

Bully for you!

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 30 Mar 19 - 06:25 PM

Congratulations, Anne! Well done!
Did any of the themes/motifs continue in ballad form?

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 01 Apr 19 - 06:54 AM

Congratulations, Dr. Lister! (Also for the interesting email, which I'll reply to soon, promise.) Looking forward to developments - B x

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: Anne Lister
Date: 01 Apr 19 - 07:55 AM

Making a fourth attempt to reply to the various questions here ...(couldn't post the others, for some reason). First, Keberoxu - yes, I will indeed take any opportunity to prance around in fancy robes, and the PhD robes for Cardiff University are red, green and white, as befits the Welsh flag. I will post photos but the ceremony isn't until July.
Secondly, Steve - I didn't study Spanish ballads, so I can't answer your question. The story didn't really ever come to these islands, except as a 19th century adaptation and then an even worse 1930s version (from America). However it did survive in chapbooks in Spain right up to the early 20th century, it was mentioned by Cervantes as one of the books in the library of Don Quixote, and it turned up as a metrical romance in the Philippines, in Tagalog, so it clearly had popular appeal in Spain. Why it didn't travel further across Europe is one of those enduring puzzles. There is an episode however which is strongly reminiscent of the Corpus Christi Carol - the knight lying on a richly covered bed with wounds that won't stop bleeding, looked after by two women - which is probably from the motif of the Sleeping King. It really is a fascinating story, and as I've said before, the story of how it came to be created is also fascinating.

And thank you to all for the congratulations!

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: GUEST,John Moulden
Date: 01 Apr 19 - 09:10 AM

From one who travelled the same route ten years ago and at an advanced age; congratulations. Had Wyn James anything to do with it; or Mary Anne Constantine? If so, please give them my regards.

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: Stower
Date: 02 Apr 19 - 07:20 PM

That's fabulous new, Dr. Lister. I look forward to reading your thesis.

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: Anne Lister
Date: 03 Apr 19 - 12:04 PM

Thank you, everyone. John - I was working in the School of Welsh with Sioned Davies, and with Carlos Sanz Mingo from Modern Languages, so not familiar with Wyn James or Mary Anne Constantine. But it's always good to hear from other people who have done this daft thing later on in life!

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: Janie
Date: 03 Apr 19 - 01:38 PM

Hurray!

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 04 Apr 19 - 09:29 PM

WELL DONE
BRAVO
CONGRATULATIONS

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Apr 19 - 12:21 AM

Excellent! Good for you! Now where did I stash that extra tardis?

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 05 Apr 19 - 09:57 AM

How did you choose your topic? And are you writing (some) in Welsh?

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: Anne Lister
Date: 05 Apr 19 - 11:28 AM

Hi, Philippa. The topic was something I'd wanted to work on since my undergraduate days a long time ago, although the specific approach was different to the way I would have handled it then, after my years of performing. And no, none of it is in Welsh (it is finished now, and approved). I was in the School of Welsh because I was working with Sioned Davies, who is interested in the performance of medieval narratives. My Welsh is very limited - I've put in a couple of years of evening classes, but no more than that. "Jaufre" is in Occitan, so I've needed to use my Occitan, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Catalan, which has been more than enough of a linguistic stretch!

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: GUEST,John Moulden
Date: 06 Apr 19 - 10:41 AM

Both Wyn and Mary Anne are involved in Ballad research, Wyn with a particular interest in popular printing, chapbooks and the like. Wyn was Professor in the School of Welsh in Cardiff when last I heard of him. Mary-Ann is at Aberystwyth.

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: Anne Lister
Date: 07 Apr 19 - 05:32 PM

Ah well, I'm sorry, then, John - Wyn is certainly no longer in the School of Welsh. I don't know when he retired, but when I started my PhD four years ago Sioned Davies (my supervisor) was Professor and had been for a while. She has now stepped down herself and is considering retirement. Wyn's name wasn't mentioned to me at any point, although chapbooks were a part of my research. There isn't a great deal of routine contact with Aberystwyth, although one of my postgrad friends did her MA there - she didn't mention Mary Anne to me.

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: Rapparee
Date: 08 Apr 19 - 10:24 PM

Doctor Lister -- Aren't you responsible for antiseptic surgery as well?

Subject: RE: Anne Lister PhD update
From: Anne Lister
Date: 09 Apr 19 - 12:03 PM

Rap - ssshhhh! As a matter of fact, when I was teaching I discovered some of my pupils had nicknamed me "Mouthwash". It could have been so much worse.