Gaskell beats Shakespeare

At least as far as our course registrations are concerned. (Ha!) Imagine a small, cluttered office with buttery yellow walls, a large copy of Greenwood's Map of London of 1827 clinging to one of the aforementioned buttery yellow walls (actually, some pieces of the map are clining rather desperately and only with the tips of their non-existent fingers to the wall while one piece of the map never made it onto the wall in the first place), and Sandy sitting on a dark red office chair, smiling benignly on the twenty-odd students who step through the door one by one to get enrolled in Sandy's class. Sandy's two young colleagues watch on in awe. (Yes, in awe, I tell ya, but then they're still young and easily impressed. *ggg*) After a while one of them mutters something like, "I can't believe more people are in interested in Gaskell than in Shakespeare."

I flash him a triumphant smile. "Well, they probably all know that we're going to watch films which feature good-looking young men."

"I'm also going to watch a film," he protests (in vain, of course). "With Kenneth Branagh! And Emma Thompson!"

This time, I throw him a look full of pity. "But I watch a film which features Richard Armitage." (Please note that I totally refrained from saying something like "the divine Richard Armitage," or "the yummy, yummy Richard Armitage," or "the über-hot Richard Armitage who can make your bones melt with just one look," or "the Look-back-Look-back-at-me, OMG!!!!-That-kiss!!!!!!!! Richard Armitage." No, I was totally cool and professional as befits a young, hopeful academic.)

"But Kenneth Branagh!"

My look turns more pitying. "Yah, but I've got Richard Armitage and he's hot!"

"Perhaps you should try and find a Shakespeare film with Orlando Bloom," my other (male) colleague chimes in.

I stare at him in horror. "Orlando Bloom??? That babyface?"

Obviously, none of them has ever watched NORTH & SOUTH. Tsk.



You don't need Henry to explain --- awwwwwww! (says she in very professional tones).