And now -- it's really official!

As of yesterday at 5 pm, I have scheduled my pre-oral exams. They will take place next Friday -- April 6. Yup, Good Friday. It's my morbid Catholic streak coming through with the scheduling -- but I'm quite psyched. Had a fabulous meeting with my adviser yesterday, and am feeling much more ready. I even have an overarching method to the way I'm trying to consider these texts: Looking at ways in which intellectual genealogies are formed via the resurrection of certain themes and foci in such works as the Historia Ecclesia, de Temporibus, Cura Pastoralis, Consolation of Philosophy, Catholic Homilies of Aelfric, and so on. Much of it focuses around Alfredian postures and invocations -- but also on the rather fractured "contemporary" looks at Alfred himself.

I'm really quite pleased. And more than ready to go!

In other news, my adviser and I were talking about the sermon on the creation of the world, and wondering idly whether Milton knew Anglo-Saxon. Lo and behold, I tune into blog lines this morning and see Michael Drout's post on his completion of the OE Genesis poem for his Anglo-Saxon aloud program. And sure enough, Milton at the very least knew Anglo-Saxonists (in the form of Francis Junius).

And if you haven't subscribed to the podcast for Anglo-Saxon Aloud -- I'd highly recommend it. Such a wonderful resource to have!

In still other news, this week has been prospective student week, and I must say I am once again (as always) deeply impressed by the medieval admits here. A really great group of people, ones I would be happy to have as colleagues. I love this time of year. It's so energizing.