Wilde Irony

Nearly three hours ago, I finished my course thesis on The Picture of Dorian Gray.  During the last ten days, over 100 hours were spent applying the philosophies and literary theories of Mikhail Bakhtin to Oscar Wilde’s only narrative.  How poetic is it that the 1945 film version of The Picture of Dorian Gray was shown on TCM tonight at [...]

Read Full Post »

Call for Submissions – Elephant Tree

Fiction and poetry submissions for Chapman University’s annual literary magazine, Elephant Tree, are now being accepted for the April 2010 publication.  Poems and short fiction must be submitted to the English department by Thursday, December 10, at 5 p.m. Additional information and past issues of the magazine are available at www.chapman.edu/wilkinson/english/publications.asp.

Read Full Post »

The Act of Creation

My office is in chaos.  I’m researching and writing my course thesis on Oscar Wilde – a Bakhtinian analysis of The Picture of Dorian Gray, and books, critical essays, pads and Post-its with my scribbled notes, my highlighted and dog-eared MLA Handbook and dictionary, half-empty water bottles, bags of cookies, and uncapped pens are scattered on my desk and around [...]

Read Full Post »

Prose Reading – Cathy Day

Tuesday, November 24, at 10:00 AM in the Argyros Forum, Chapman University Cathy Day is the author of Comeback Season and The Circus in Winter.  This event is sponsored by Chapman’s Department of English.  For more information, call 714-628-7389 or e-mail leahy@chapman.edu.

Read Full Post »

Write of Passage

“I am the artist of my life who takes the raw materials given, no matter how bizarre, painful, or disappointing, and gives them shape and meaning.  I am within each scene and each chapter of my life, defining my character through the choices I make.  I am on my own side, rooting for myself, aching for myself, [...]

Read Full Post »

Samuel Johnson Dinner and Lecture

In honor of Samuel Johnson’s 300th birthday, the Samuel Johnson Society of Southern California will be hosting a celebratory dinner at The Huntington Library on Sunday, November 22, commencing at 6:00 p.m. This festive event will include socializing and dining in the spirit of the 18th century, period harp music, and a lecture by John W. Byrne: “A [...]

Read Full Post »

Epistola: In Carcere et Vinculis

“The gods are strange.  It is not of our vices only they make instruments to scourge us.  They bring us to ruin through what in us is good, gentle, humane, loving.” – Oscar Wilde, De Profundis, 1897

Read Full Post »

Praise for Subtlety

“A writer who is subtle is in no rush; he can pace himself, prolong tension, suspense, and even dialogue for hundreds of pages.  He can hint, foreshadow ever so slightly, set things up hundreds of pages in advance.  He will often leave things unsaid, may even employ a bit of confusion, and often allow you [...]

Read Full Post »

On my bedside table now…

The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde by Oscar Wilde Your Life as Story by Tristine Rainer The Mirror: A History by Sabine Melchior-Bonnet The Norton edition of Dubliners by James Joyce The Complete Novels of Jane Austen (in preparation for next semester’s seminar) The last issues of Glimmer [...]

Read Full Post »