Dr. Nicole Basaraba

Assistant Professor in Digital Humanities, TCD

Nicole Basaraba

Categories

Why do most book clubs read the classics?

So my question is: why do most book clubs these days read the classics? Maybe book clubs read the classics because it’s good to have this “cultured knowledge” or maybe because the average person needs a little help from peers to fully understand the book? I know I’ve cracked open Pride and Prejudice more than one while lying in bed before going to sleep, and I couldn’t seem to concentrate hard enough to sift through the “older” English and follow all the Ms Bennets.

What to blog about – that was my question

This verse is based on Shakespeare’s soliloquy in Hamlet. I have maintained the limit of 36 lines and tried to mimic his words. I was inspired to write this way in response to the blog post “To blog or not to blog- that is the question.”

Paris: the picturesque city

The Eiffel Tower is brown! In all the photos I’ve seen, the tower looks charcoal grey or black. I think it’s the least romantic place to get engaged. The man on his knee getting hit in the head with a girl’s purse and his soon-to-be fiancé dazed by the flash from someone’s camera. I preferred to look at the tower from outside than to look out from it...

Ode to Coffee

Your transparent caramel colour entices me. When you touch my lips for the first time, I´m eager to devour you. I take you from mouth and inhale deeply. I smile from satisfaction with my first cup of morning coffee.

Visiting the “Nether lands” of Amsterdam

First of all, I didn’t visit Amsterdam to hit the coffeeshops (drug houses) or the redlight district (harlot houses), which could be called the "nether lands" or "nether regions" of Amsterdam. In fact I only visited the red-light district during daylight hours and I was quick to leave the area, which was full of weird men looking around. Its quite shocking...