leidenartsinsocietyblog — page 2

Modern and Contemporary Studies

A Literary Answer to Inadequate Legal Definitions of Ground and Soil

In this entry, Frans-Willem Korsten explores the need for a sensible legal definition of ground and soil. Inspired by popular culture and academic texts, Korsten advocates for literary sensibilities in the political task of creating definitions that reflect ground and soil’s living nature.

Classics and Classical Civilisation

Trump and Philip of Thessalonica Undermining Authorial Control

What do Donald Trump and Philip of Thessalonica have in common? In this blog, Oriol Febrer argues how both of them challenge the power of other artists to determine the meaning of their creations. They purposely change the meaning of previous texts by shaping new contexts.

Modern and Contemporary Studies

Who Exactly is Mad? A Reflection on the Theme of Madness in Dickinson (2019)

Mental illness has long been a source of curiosity and reflection. The TV series Dickinson (2019), created by Alena Smith, explores the theme of madness, inviting the audience to reflect on who exactly we label as mad and why, as it draws links between the past and the present.

Modern and Contemporary Studies

The Book of Jackson

Pop music is not known for its literary allusions. For the educated listener, however, some songs by quintessential pop artist Michael Jackson contain references that completely transform their meaning. This blog will focus on his lyrical interaction with the most famous book of all: the Bible.

Let’s play! The interplay of language learning and ludic culture in the early modern Low Countries

Do you remember learning how to order a coffee in English, German, or French during your language lessons in high school? In this blog, Anna Baak and Sjoera Slooff discuss how this practical and playful learning process has been popular throughout the ages.

Classics and Classical Civilisation

Who’s Afraid of a Queer Achilles?

Queer theory offers original perspectives from which to revise theoretical framings of Classics as a discipline. In this post, LUCAS postdoc in Latin literature Francesco Busti reflects on the urgency of queering Classics amid the current surge in nationalist and anti-LGBTQIA+ stances across Europe