December 10, 2016 at 5:59 pm
Nicholas Dames at The Nation reviews three books that attempt to vindicate the practice of literary criticism. One of the most salient ways in which all three have done so is by laboring howcriticism opens the sensibilities of its readers to more valuably appreciate works of art that wouldotherwise have been abstruse or mysterious. What, […]
November 19, 2016 at 12:14 pm
Montaigne is perhaps the most widely celebrated essayist in the Western Canon. And it is his essays that have also elevated him to classic status not only in literature but also philosophy. The two are often thought to go together harmoniously, yet literature shows a tact which philosophy often brusques aside for concatenation. Montaigne is […]
October 20, 2016 at 2:41 pm
A visionary trinity. ProfesSir Christopher Ricks is one of the most energetic octogenarians we have on the literary scene. Age has clearly not impaired his hearing, which has been and remains so keenly attune to the sounds and subtleties of (among others) Milton and Tennyson, that it has served as an aid for our own. […]
October 14, 2016 at 2:40 am
If anyone has a story that can justly be called BUnique and BUtiful, then one of our Core first-year students, Abbey Janeira, has certainly made her own a strong candidate. She was profiled in a recent article at BU Today: Abbey Janeira (CAS ’20) is used to facing challenges. As an eighth grader, she was […]
October 3, 2016 at 2:44 pm
Our “Lord Nelson” — Prof. Nelson, director of Core, on sabbatical this year while the ship is being helmed by Acting Director Prof. Diana Wylie — is in Ireland, away from the academic high-mindedness (and occasional hijinks) of the Core office. Thinking that we wouldn’t want her to miss out, we wrote her a quick […]
September 21, 2015 at 9:27 am
To current Core students, Dantes Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso marks theculmination of first year Core. Yet, toItalians, Dantes work of literature is referenced through academics, politicians and media. Dante is marked with a reverence by Italy for his ability to create a national language in the country. John Kleiner marks Italys celebration of the poets […]
December 16, 2014 at 2:03 pm
Over at SoundCloud, the good folks of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation have posted an audio interview with one of their hosts asking a certain familiar Core personality all about a certain familiar holiday song… can you guess who it was? Can you guess what song? Give up? It’s Professor Hamill! It’s “Jingle Bells”! Minds are […]
September 23, 2014 at 11:08 am
The Core is pleased to report that it was a distinct pleasure to host so many pleasant Core and Classics persons at this past Saturday’s Core/Classics reception, part of BU’s alumni weekend. We hope to see more of you this spring, when we hold our gala 25th anniversary! — with Michael J. Maguire, Ashley McIntosh, […]
September 22, 2014 at 4:08 pm
Faculty, despite cruel rumors to the contrary, are not all corrupted by the Gradgrindian spirit. Indeed, they are warm people, who love nothing more than to see their former students thriving in the world beyond campus. To that end, they love visits. In this photo, from September 2014, Professors Ann Vasaly, Stephen Esposito and Stephanie […]
