Branwen daughter of Llyr

Since I graduated from undergrad in 2001 (and haven't been accepted in a program this year - applying again for 2011), I currently have a real "grown-up" job as a technical writer. I also tutor English as a second language, advise people about applying to colleges and grad school in the US and Europe, and teach SAT and GRE prep courses. I'll be working all three jobs until the day I move back to the US for grad school, most likely. At least I'll be able to save up a little nest egg for the lean stipend years! (meanwhile, I'm also taking grad classes online and starting up on Latin, and possibly French in the fall). Just reading this, made me realize how busy I actually am. My poor dog is neglected beyond belief.

I like my last name, and I see no reason to change it, even if I get married. After all, I've had this name for nearly 38 years, It's a great name (and works well with my first name), and I'm completely and utterly used to it. . I shall be Prof. Llyr, not Llyr-something-or-other or Prof. something-or-other. On the other hand, I also doubt I'll get married, so perhaps it's a moot point altogether . And choidy - yes. I'm not property, so why change my name??

I'm currently working in 3 jobs - full time technical writer and documentation manager in a start-up company with an extremely complex system to document. Part time adviser for people interested in studying in the US and abroad (I live in Israel) - including finding the right schools to apply to, helping with apps, editing essays and SOPs, and getting them to sign up for the prep courses for SAT, GRE, GMAT, and TOEFL at the company I work for. It's actually quite fun, despite the occasional doofus client who has no clue. English tutor for an 8th grader. I also translate and do some freelance technical writing gigs. Despite enjoying my jobs overall, I can't WAIT for grad school (despite having to go through the application process again...). I'd rather research and teach than write boring technical user manuals LOL.

My main reason for contacting profs is to decide if to apply to the program or not, basically. I've found a few profs whose interests don't exactly match mine, but they still may have the knowledge to guide me in my research. I just want to make sure, before selecting the schools that I'll apply to, that I'm choosing the right ones, with profs that CAN forward my research interests. i.e. - can a prof who works mostly on dream and vision in medieval lit help me explore the role of magic? Has a Chaucer scholar done any work in other texts? My research interests are so odd overall that it's important to me to make sure I'm applying to the right places. So obviously, some schools are a given fit - Profs that have interests listed that are very similar to mine, I won't bother to email. But those I'm not sure about - I could be missing out on a great experience, just from assuming they won't be able to help me in my research.

I'm going to start contacting profs as soon as I'm done compiling my Grad School profiles table - in which I list each school, profs I'm interested in working with in the department (from their school profile and other readings), SoP focus, and pros and cons. Once I'm done with the table, I'll start contacting specific profs from each department and start fishing for additional information - if my interests suit the department and prof, beginning and academic discussion, finding out about previous cohort admissions (as americana stated before me). Luckily, I have several fields of interest within medieval lit, so I can tailor my SoP for each school and what research I could do there (i.e. shift focus from Celtic Arthuriana to Romance Arthuriana if no Celtic focused profs are in the program, or just focus on Chaucer and his contemporaries instead of Arthuriana if they already have 5 PhD candidates focusing on Arthuriana ). Basically, I plan starting the contacting process within the next month, so I can narrow down my 28 school list to about 12-13 over the summer. It's really about getting as much information about the programs as possible so I can determine my fit - living overseas, I'm not really going to have a chance to visit the departments unless I manage to wrangle a three week vacation in September. Obviously, I also hope that contacting the profs and engaging them in academic discourse can help my acceptance chances - but that's a secondary goal . The main goal is putting together the best possible application package and gathering as much information as possible to make sure that I'm applying to the right schools for me. I want to make sure that I'll be jumping for absolute joy no matter where I get in (despite being utterly enamored of UCLA and Harvard's programs LOL). Good luck!

If you mean texts that contain words that are likely to appear on the GRE - work with the following: The Economist - loads and loads of "GRE words". Scientific American, as well. Any academic book / publication - I read a history book about the middle ages which contained a great deal of "GRE words" in it. Just look for high-quality books written by academics, as well as academic journals (science, social science, and humanities). Any Umberto Eco book will contain a great deal of higher level words - he's a high-flown writer. Foucault's Pendulum is actually very good, as is The Name of the Rose.

First - thanks everyone for your input. Second - I have to say, that this has been one of the more enjoyable discussions I've participated in - in a very long time (I can't wait for grad school LOL). I'm now looking forward to theory classes, as well as period classes! Pamphilla and diehtc0ke - thanks so much for the discussion and the advice. I will definitely keep it in mind, especially when looking at programs and profs. I know I have a lot of catching up to do in theory, and it will be interesting to see what I "dig" once I'm back in school (and not just reading theory anthologies on my own hahaha). Oh, and I found yet another plus for Harvard - Patrick K. Ford - my all time favorite Welsh scholar (he wrote what I think is the best translation of The Mabinogi out there). Although he's only a research prof now, still - he's AROUND.

Not soap-boxy at all. I'm the first to admit that I'm woefully ignorant in theory - and as I've stated before I'm very likely to end up using some form of feminist critical lens in the eventual mish-mash. Celtic culture, being much more "feminine-oriented" (at least strong women were highly possible and respected) creates some interesting tension and conflicts with the much more patriarchal Anglo-Norman culture (this is very very generalistic, of course), so I'm pretty sure some feminist discourse will eventually be in my dissertation. Even when discussing Merlin's magical abilities etc. However, it's not my main interest, overall, at least not now (just like everything else, this may change). And I agree that scholars tend to umm... insert their own interests into your work. This is why it's important to me to find profs and a dissertation committee that parallel my interests both in text and theory - I have a bit of a tendency to get influenced and hmm... shall we say... "bowled over" by strong personalities that I admire (such as profs LOL, since I usually assume that they're much smarter than I am hahaha). I can often find myself working on research questions that I wasn't really intending to work on if I'm not careful. Obviously, sometimes this can be of benefit - if not for my UG thesis adviser, I would have never discovered Bakhtin's carnivalesque theory which I applied to Anglo-Welsh children's lit - but on the other hand, this CAN be detrimental on occasion - I don't really want to suddenly shift to full-blown feminist critique when what I'm really interested in is the idea of Welsh magic, historicist and archetypal analysis of aspects of the arthurian legend in the middle ages, and how celtic and anglo-norman cultures clash and co-exist in the arthurian cycle . Again, this is not to say that no feminist perspective and lens will be applied, and I may end up loving feminist criticism after a literary theory course, but I'm usually pretty good at recognizing what I love (which is usually something that my internal radar recognizes as some personal truth). Luckily, there are three years between beginning the PhD and beginning the dissertation. Obviously, the first two years will have a great deal of impact on my ideas and interests, so we'll see where I end up!

I actually looked at Indiana a couple of months ago, but I didn't find them as strong in medieval as some of the other programs. Many many Victorians, not many medieval classes and profs. But I will look again, especially since you saw the Welsh option, and dig a bit deeper than the first round I looked at. Fordham may definitely be an option, even if only for the MA, and they do have 4 associate profs in medieval, so I'm going to dig a bit deeper and see where I place them on my list. Obviously, I'm kind of gunning for Harvard - but since I'll be applying to about 10 schools overall, I want to make sure I have a wide selection of programs that can meet my scholarship desires .

I'm starting to take online Latin classes this fall to prep - and I'm planning of French as well during the PhD. So I'm hoping to end up with three languages - French, Latin and Welsh by the end of the PhD. Post PhD, I'll probably start on Italian due to my crush on commedia del'arte and Dante It's interesting looking at Merlin in the Welsh texts and comparing him to the Merlin in the Anglo-Norman stuff. Some interesting tension happening there . And yes - the name changes are pretty fascinating - but remember that the Welsh "th" sound is very similar to the English "L" sound (also their double liquid L can easily be confused with "th") - so that may have been the corruption as well. Ahhhh Tennyson... 19th century medievalism is FUN. Also, how each period in history has a tendency to romanticize the past (when I was a kid, prices were reasonable and people behaved better type of thing) which is very prevalent in the Victorian era - but also the Renaissance - idealizing Classical philosophy and art, etc. Cheerful nihilist !! (smiling enthusiastically, although I'm not a nihilist at all). I just like the way that sounds

Ugh, Lacan. I totally get you on the deus ex machina thing. However, examining a character's "psychology" can be really interesting, if not done in a heavy-handed manner. What I love about Jungian analysis is the emphasis on archetype rather than complex. And yes, Hamlet's Oedipal complex has definitely been overdone . Merlin is a totally interesting inertation of character - his origin is most likely from the Welsh Myrddin (pronounced Murthin), a "wild-man of the woods" archetype from Welsh and druid legends. His prominence in Arthurian lore is a really interesting example of how the Celtic sensibilities clash with the Anglo-Norman ones - Merlin is somewhat the "conscience" of Arthur and of Uther in many of the legends (despite doing some very naughty stuff because of Uther and Arthur's whims LOL) - so does that represent the "celtic" as the conscience of the anglo-norman culture? Re Welsh - yes. One of the reasons I'm so gung-ho on Harvard and UCLA is the option to take Welsh and study the Welsh texts in the original (I love Welsh. I have no idea why). I LOVE Malory (despite his mistreatment of the Lancelot-Guinevere-Arthur issue), and yes, his tournament descriptions are utterly wonderful. I still think that many of the tournament depictions in "A Knight's Tale" (the Heath Ledger movie) were taken straight from Malory LOL. And deconstruction - the end of the text (for me at least, as a bookworm galore) IS the end of the world :lol:. I'm currently reading some Derrida, and despite being fascinated by it (like being fascinated by a snake), it sends horrible shivers down my spine, and I can't see myself working with it in literary analysis. Oh well. Luckily there are plenty of other theories out there that I do enjoy more!

Wahoo - I love sparking controversial conversations Sparky - no - I'm definitely not confusing "about women" and "feminist criticism". There are certain feminist theories that just don't agree with me. Especially those who look at things from the "horrible patriarchy" angle. It's just too black and white for me - even in the middle ages (a period of general horrible patriarchy and repression of women) there are subtleties that just don't fit in to those theories, at least in my mind. So although I am a feminist (i.e. equal-rights etc.), I tend to avoid militant feminist theories (or militant any theories), both in my politics and in my analysis of literature. Obviously, some feminist theories may be right in my bailiwick - and may end up being used in my analysis, but only as part of a matrix of theories. Obviously, a prof can be a great mentor even if she's a feminist critic in her approach. However, after working closely with one of those, I did feel that an agenda was being shoved down my throat. Obviously, my main interest is someone who knows the texts I'm interested in inside and out - but if a department is particularly gender-slanted in their theory, I may have a bit of a rougher time avoiding that in my dissertation - just because I'll be surrounded by it left and right. So I'm definitely not discounting - but I AM looking at schools that are strong in literary theories that I'm more interested in. bigdgp - I think deconstruction signifies the end of the world LOL (ok, not REALLY, but it's SO obscure and cyclical). speakwrite - I actually enjoy psychoanalytic theory - especially the Jungian variety, since I enjoy analyzing character and archetype - but not of the Lacan variety, which is what influenced feminist theories so much. However, I often wonder if the very invention of psychoanalysis by Freud and it's influx into society didn't actually CREATE all those neurosis and disturbias that modern societies suffer from, and if it's at all applicable to Medieval texts :lol:. It's actually somewhat amusing that my ideas on the human condition sound feminist - in a literary theory sense or in general? I just look at literature as a product of culture and try to analyze it as such - through character and archetype analysis, historical and social contexts, etc. What fascinates me about the Arthurian cycle is the clash between the Celtic culture the stories emerged from, and the Anglo-Norman culture they were developed in, and how that affected tensions and contradictions in the texts themselves (i.e. such as the shifting of female and male archetypes, and the difficulties in resolving the contradictions between Chivalry and Liege-Lord loyalties). And just to remind you - U2, Depeche Mode, New Order, and Elvis Costello were also a product of the 80's (I'm a 70's baby! My formative years were in the 80's!!)

I have a very strange relationship with feminist theory for some reason. Although I'm far from being anti-feminist (I'm an equal-rights, equal-pay, equal-responsibilities type of gal), when it comes to literary criticism, I have a hard time with many feminist theories, especially the more militant ones. When analyzing character, I'm a humanist at heart - I'm interested in the human condition and its reflection in literature, social ideologies and agendas (and why they occur) - so analyzing attitudes towards women and analyzing female archetypes is very interesting - but in perspective and context (i.e. how do male archetypes change at the time, what ideologies are being promoted or rebelled against, etc.). I began an MA program in gender studies a few years back here in Israel and I couldn't stand it (it may have been the teaching methodologies that made me cringe, however). I do think that some feminist theoretical lens will be used in my research, but only as part of the whole (after all, female characters play vital roles in the Arthurian cycle and in Welsh tales of the period). I'm not completely swimming in theory yet - I definitely wasn't exposed to enough theory during UG, and I'm the type of scholar who likes mixing and matching - I take a little bit of this and a little of that and try to create something new. I do know that I can't stand deconstruction (drives me insane LOL), but I can't really say what theoretical work I'll use in my criticism. Most likely a blend of theories. I will give CUNY a deeper look, however. @MM - thanks for the detailed info on dissertation committees. I'm going to take it as a given that I'll be conferencing during my PhD (at least I fully aim to do so).

Thanks for the info - I shall make sure that my profs are at least associate profs I learn something new every day LOL

Thanks Gender and sexuality tho - not really my cup of tea (the Guinevere example was more of a shift in archetype example - I could also look at the Knight-errant archetype vs. the Celtic Knight as an example ). Myth and legend, Archetypes, Psychoanalytic, Historicist, more my cup of tea . My main issue is to find strong medieval programs with Arthurian profs who do Celtic work as well (Harvard is top of the list because of their Celtic Studies secondary subject option, and UCLA for their strong concentration in Welsh and Irish medieval literature). Children's lit is a secondary interest (as is the sci-fi / fantasy) which I'll probably get to post-doc, although taking a children's / fantasy lit class will definitely be a bonus (and can cover any "modern" requirements LOL). And yes, Catherine McKenna - I saw her profile on the Harvard site and basically fell in lust (academically, of course!!). I seriously thought about CUNY Graduate Center - I'm just not very eager to move back to NYC. But it's probably a good idea to take a deeper look into the program - I may find several profs I can work with and like the classes that they offer. I enjoyed the year I studied at Hunter, so I'm also familiar with school, in general. hrm.

The Guinevere thing was an example, really. I'm not that terribly interested in gender-specific stuff - more in the Celtic influences and the dichotomy between the Celtic sensibilities (such as the goddess/wise-woman) and Anglo-Norman chivalric / courtly love sensibilities. The Guinevere example is an example of how different archetypes dominate the different core-values. In Gawain and the Green Knight for example, the tension between the Celtic story and Chivalric code is very very strong. If Rose Hill is that far north and I can live out of NYC proper, it's doable - I can always take the train in to the city - I really really don't want to live in a box and in the middle of the city - I would like some green around me. My cats and my dog will like green too, LOL (especially after taking a long long plane ride all the way to the states hahahah). I'm kind of over city living in general - but I most want to go where the scholarship is, which is why Harvard and UCLA are so high up on my list - those are the only two programs in which I can actually study The Mabinogi in Welsh and compare it to the Arthurian cycle of the same period.

Thanks (definitely not beating a dead horse). I liked what Fordham had to say on their site in general - so I don't want to discount it completely. I'll get in touch with them over the next few weeks and see if having an associate prof as mentor/adviser and in the dissertation committee is possible with them. Obviously, NYC has many advantages (not the least that I know the city very well, having lived there for 3.5 years). Funny how things work out - I wasn't planning on applying to any big city universities this time around (i have a large dog, so I don't want to live in a small box), and here my top two contenders are in Boston and LA, and now adding Fordham to the mix is amusing. The question about Rose Hill is this - can you afford to live there on a stipend? or do you have to live in a less desirable area of the Bronx? (the only good thing about the Bronx is the Bronx Zoo LOL - and I lived on Staten Island in '98!)

MM - saw a documentary not long ago (I think it was BBC) about who Arthur really was - there are a few historical contenders for the role, aren't there? One is actually named Arturius (a general left behind after the withdrawal of Rome from Britain), but others are early kings of pre-Anglo-Saxon invasion - one of them even marched on Rome (however, I don't remember their names at the moment LOL). Fascinating stuff, your thesis

They have a direct to PhD program on their site (which I qualify for, score-wise). And re the Medieval Studies - I want a PhD in English, not Medieval studies, since I'm also interested in other periods and hope to continue researching other periods and genres later. Although the Medieval Studies program is tempting, I'm afraid that it would end up limiting my scholarship. As far as I know, your dissertation committee must have full professors. Although an Assistant Prof can be TT or tenured already, and can definitely help you while you're writing and taking classes, once it gets to committee, you need full profs on board. So at least one should be full prof in your field, no? (I may be mistaken about this, but this is how I understand that dissertation committees work). And foppery - btw, I love your handle. I'm very enamored of Restoration Comedy myself . It's not about the permanence - It's about dissertation committee issues.

I looked at Fordham today - no full profs are medievalists. (A whole lot of them are in early modern / renaissance, however). Fordham's MA might be an option if I don't get in to a PhD track - I liked their philosophy in the English dept., and Jesuit schools are RENOWNED for scholarship. However, they are in the BRONX (ugh). On the other hand, I can take classes at Columbia. But for a PhD I doubt if they're an option - I need full profs that are medieval minded, not assistant profs. *sigh*.

Cornell has a great English department, and I'm considering them still (I applied this year to the MFA/PhD but was rejected). They also have the advantage of having at least one prof who researches children's lit (which I adore). Notre Dame is on the list, and I'll look into Southern Illinois Carbondale and see if it's a decent fit.

Duke was one of my top choices this round, but I missed their deadline. When I looked at their site again, I couldn't find a lot of medieval classes - maybe I wasn't looking in the right place . But yes - I loved their program and their department in my initial reviews.

Ahh yes, the Berkeley. I know they should be on there. I'm having internal issues with Berkeley (don't know why). But as far as their program goes, they are possibly a very very good match, and also extremely progressive - it's a place I KNOW won't raise eyebrows at the fact that I like mixing and matching stuff. Maybe I'm anti-California. God knows why. One thing for sure, the weather is much better there than on the east coast LOL. And Berkeley is MUCH nicer than LA... they do merit serious consideration. Also, my sister would love it if I were in Berkeley - she's going to be in Boulder in 2011 - and Berkeley is much closer than anywhere on the East Coast LOL . I missed WashU (looks like an amazing program and hidden gem based on their placements and credentials), and Fordham's in the Bronx, right? (I only know of it from posts here). I'll check them both out and see if they warrant being added to the list . (and I JUST noticed that I HAD written UC Berkeley in the signature list)

OK, Done with stupid Lit GRE now, and can focus on selecting schools for next year. I have a pretty extensive list (see in signature). My top contenders are Harvard and UCLA (because of their Celtic programs - they teach Welsh!! Wahoo!!). I am, however, open and receptive to additional schools that I may have overlooked (since I'm out of touch with current research and names in the field) that have either a very strong medieval focus or at least 2 medieval profs that have touched on Arthurian lit in some way. I am most interested in the Late medieval period (no Anglo-Saxon, please), am particularly interested in the Arthurian cycle, Chaucer, Gawain and the Green Knight (my all time favorite), and in Celtic stuff - The Mabinogi and the Taliesen stories. The importation of Celtic mythology into Anglo-Norman England is specifically a great love of mine, as well as the tension between the Celtic sensibilities and the Norman Courtly-Love and Chivalric codes in the literature of the time. Social and Historical reasons for the importation are relevant, as well as more myth-oriented analysis, narratology, and Jungian archetypes (how did Guinevere turn from a wise queen who got Arthur out of trouble in the Mabinogi stories into a harlot who destroys Camelot???) How is the Celtic goddess/wise woman transformed into an evil witch in the Anglo-Norman version? Why does this happen? What are the social and historical ideologies that create this tension? (yeah, I have loads of questions). I should add that U Texas - Austin should be in the list below because of Geraldine Heng (I may use her work in my writing sample). However, she is only ONE - and only an assistant prof at that. *sigh*. So - who did I miss? Where should I look? Ideas are welcome with open arms!!