I am a woman torn between times with one foot in the nineteenth century and the other in Medieval/early modern England. I'm very interested in didacticism in literature and the intersection between visual art and text (especially in serialized fiction); how do these two "languages" complement one another? What is the relationship between the visual and textual, between illustration and education? I've recently begun to consider triangulating my interests in Medieval/early modern literature and Victorian literature through the work of the Pre-Raphaelites, artists also torn between times. Conversing about Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, and William Shakespeare as well as the Pre-Raphaelites, the political ramifications of speech and silence, and the propagandistic, didactic power of fiction and drama brings me great joy. I also dabble in baking delectable sweets and always enjoy discussing the Great British Baking Show. I'm so excited for this week of immersion in Victorian fiction. Let the teas begin!