Susan Signe Morrison's Blog, page 9

Come to Malvern Books for the Book Launch, Thursday Oct. 22

I’ll be launching Grendel’s Mother: The Saga of the Wyrd-Wife at Malvern Books in Austin, TX on Thursday, October 22nd, from 7 p.m — 8 p.m. Please let anyone know about it who loves Beowulf–or feminist revisions of established stories.

You can read more about the event here.

There will even be music provided by the wonderful singer-songwriter Sarah McSweeney.

Sarah McSweeney

Music, poetry, and prose: what could be more typically Austin?

Here are directions to Malvern Books, just north of the campus of the University of Texas at 613 West 29th Street, Austin, TX 78705, Ph: 512-322-2097.

#grendelsmotherthenovel

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What’s So Medieval About Texas?

I was very happy to do a reading and signing of my new book, Grendel’s Mother: The Saga of the Wyrd-Wife, at the annual Texas Medieval Association Conference,held for the first time at Texas State University. My amazing colleague, Yasmine Beale-Rivaya, was tireless in organizing the event, along with many others.

My reading was especially meaningful because I got to share my novel with fellow medievalists and Anglo-Saxonists.

I appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm and support. I was especially touched to be introduced by my dauntless college, Rob Tally. Thanks, Rob!

I am always happy to see graduate students present papers. Sometimes they are doing so for the first time. I’m so proud of them.

Congratulations to all these great students!

We couldn’t have had the conference without the dauntless work of volunteers.

It was fun with colleagues from Texas State and around the world.

I’m so glad we could welcome you to our lovely campus and look forward to seeing you back here in 2019!

Thanks to Deanna and Whitney for taking some of these photos!

Follow me on Twitter: @medievalwomen #grendelsmotherthenovel

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Is it Austin? Or Paris? Signing books at the Texas Book Festival

I signed copies of Grendel’s Mother: The Saga of the Wyrd-Wife and Home Front Girl: A Diary of Love, Literature, and Growing Up in Wartime America at the Texas Book Festival sitting at the Texas Writers’ League Booth. It was so much fun! I felt as though I was sitting on the Champs Ellysees watching the world go by. 

I was there with a number of other Texas writers on Sunday, October 18th.  Among them, the ultra talented Bernadette Nason, a terrific actress, story-teller and writer. She and I always have a hoot of a time together.

With the marvelous Bernadette Nason.

The weather was perfect, we had a gorgeous view of the Capitol grounds, and everyone was friendly and happy.  What an ideal event.

I like my set-up here. One of the charming volunteers and fellow members helped me.

I hope you enjoyed the Texas Book Festival! #txbookfest #grendelsmotherthenovel

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250 High Schoolers, the Old English “Onion” Riddle, and Me

My darling son, John, attends a wonderful high school. By sheer coincidence, his amazing English teacher, Ms. Michriky, is teaching Beowulf and John Gardner’s Grendel this fall–just as my novel Grendel’s Mother is being released. John’s teacher and her colleague, Ms. Icaro, asked me to come talk to a class…er…classes…er….as many as 250 freshmen. What a joy it turned out to be today when I visited!

I prepared a PowerPoint that was interactive. At one point, I had the students translate “Baby Old English” exercises together.

Of course, I had to read them Riddle 25, “The Onion.” Here is it:

Is it an onion? Or could it be something else?

I am a wondrous creature: to women a thing of joyful expectation, to close-lying companions serviceable. I harm no city-dweller excepting my slayer alone. My stem is erect and tall—I stand up in bed—and whiskery somewhere down below. Sometimes a countryman’s quite comely daughter will venture, bumptious girl, to get a grip on me. She assaults my red self and seizes my head and clenches me in a cramped place. She will soon feel the effect of her encounter with me, this curly-locked woman who squeezes me. Her eye will be wet.

Needless to say, this group of 250 14- and 15-year-olds loved it! I asked them what the answer to the riddle was.  One brave girl ventured, “A boy part!” Everyone laughed. I pretended to be shocked. “A monk wrote it down.  Of course, it’s an onion.”  Tee hee.

This is an advanced school. Not only are they reading Beowulf and Grendel–and in the future, I hope, Grendel’s Mother–they also read the ancient Sumerian epic Gilgamesh.

This translation by Stephen Mitchell is fabulous. It’s the one I use when teaching.

In my PowerPoint, I even included “authentic” images of the Neolithic  period.

An almost 15-old-year when he was a young Bronze Age lad. The students cheered John every time he showed up in these images! He even got a wolf whistle.

Much hilarity and learning by all.

Hadrian’s Wall–as far north as the Romans got.

Young Roman soldiers.

Attractive view of Sarah the Soldier.

Latrine! At last!

I told them about the end of the Anglo-Saxon period as well.

A Norman Soldier at the actual Battle of Hastings. Well, the actual Hastings battlefield.

As I reminded them: Life is a pilgrimage.

Full of devout pilgrims

My daughter, Sarah, age 7, at King’s Cross Station.

Thanks to everyone at LASA for letting me be a high schooler again!

 

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Riddle #25: Anglo-Saxon Poetry (1982) translated and edited by S. A. J. Bradley (Everyman)

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