I realize that I've been sort of MIA for the last few days. Please forgive that. I've been battling a nasty cold that's completely knocked me off my feet. However, I have been pursuing several avenues of research and I'll relate them to you in the next for posts.
First though, I think I should modify my research topic and enlighten you to the current path that I'm on at the moment. Instead of merely looking into the grammar of Shakespeare, I've started thinking about the whole 'digital humanities' aspect of literary study. I think that I'd like to study how people have been applying these digital studies to understanding the grammar of Shakespeare and whether or not it is more beneficial to pursue study in this manner or to go a more "traditional" route.
Interesting?
At least I think so.
After concluding this to be a topic of interest, I began to hunt, twitter-stalk, and blog-stalk several different people. And I've found a few people that I'm attempting to contact, who can hopefully give me more insight into their understanding of the digital humanities.
The first one I'd like to share is my attempt to contact an amazingly profound literary critic who currently is opposed to using the digital field. He has a few articles in the "New York Times" that you can view: Article 1 Article 2. These articles detail the reasoning behind using more traditional approaches to studying the humanities. They are very interesting to say the least!
So I decided I needed to contact him. *Gulp* This is the conversation I had with myself (not out loud mind you, but it's still just as amusing):
Optimistic Me: You can do this! It's not so bad. You're intelligent!
Cynical Me: Yeah right! You can't do this. This is crazy! He'll never respond!
Optimistic Me: You never know what could happen. He may be impressed with your questions.
Cynical Me: Oh come on! It's STANLEY FISH! He could writing a scathing reply to you or worse post something in the "New York Times" about the stupid girl who decided to send him an e-mail. How awkward would that be?
Optimistic Me: Well at least I'd be famous! I don't know I think I can do this.
Cynical Me: Can't!
Optimistic Me: CAN! I'm typing it right now! Ha!
*click click clickity click*
Optimistic Me: Done! I've sent it!
*Pause*
Me (out loud): Ah! I just wrote an e-mail to Stanley Fish! Stanley Freaking Fish! What was I thinking?!
Yeah, I may or may not be a little intimidated by Dr. Fish. He's a pretty powerful guy. And I may have just shown all you readers just how crazy I am. However, I actually sent the e-mail despite all the inner bantering. So, I hope he writes back! How awesome would that be?!
YOU CAN DO IT! It can be a bit daunting contacting someone like that. I'm impressed. That would be an interesting avenue to take. I personally enjoy the traditional route of reading from a book, but I think my husband and myself are going to be in VHS land forever. Do you feel that there is enough research out there to build something solid?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement! :) Very much appreciated! And yes there is so much going on right now with the digital humanities! It's hard to keep track of it all! Tons of research and information.
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