More updates (life is so exciting some days!)
Today is all about updates.
First of all, the Conflux Banquet. My update on this is that I’m still waiting for some last cocktail test results and then the committee will have an alcoholic splurge and decide on the best of the best. We’re doing that in July, I think, because every city has a depressing month and Canberra’s is July. It’s sunny and crisp and cold and ought to be delightful, but we all get moody and snappy and want sunshine that actually warms us. I keep telling myself that there is absolutely no reason for depression when the sun is shining and life is pretty cool, but Canberra in July is uncheerful and lots of people go away. Or get drunk. We’re doing the latter. I promise to report it.
We’ve worked out a price, and in a few days there’ll be a form you can fill in and a link to the site. The cost will be $70 (for a four course meal with loads of extras) and you don’t have to attend the convention to be able to go to the banquet.
The other update is on foodie courses in Canberra for the second half year. If enough people protest that they can’t travel to get to them, I’ll see if I can talk someone into hosting one of them online, but it won’t be quite the same as turning up to a classroom full of other people who adore food and history and just having fun for a few weeks.
Anyhow, the next course starts on 29 July and is called “Literary banquets.” You can find out more about it over at the Australian National University’s webpage.
When talking to students past, I’ve discovered that most of us share an interest in literature and history as well as food. I do love it that those three things go together, so during July, August and maybe early September, Ill teach them all together. I’ll make a handout of menus for various periods and on the first evening of the course we’ll choose our favourite authors for each period and do readings alongside the eatings and I’ll talk about cultural background and changes in food preferences and a bunch of other things. Of course some students (hopefully most students) will bring food from the booklet and we’ll turn bitter evenings into moments of warmth and intellectual joy.
That’s all the news, I think. Except that tomorrow’s Thursday, but you knew that already.
July 6th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Hi Gillian, your link is broken. This one works: http://www.anu.edu.au/cce/cecourses/writing.php#literary_banquets
I really really wish I could do the course, but I have a show at the end of August - too many rehearsals and too many other commitments. Sigh. Could I request a copy of the pamphlet? (I’d pay a reasonable cost for your work, of course.)
July 9th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Thanks, Cath! If the course goes ahead, then sure you can have the notes (which will mianly be recipes), but if there aren’t enough people I shan’t be putting them together (dead lazy, that’s me!!). I’ll probably know a few days before.