On the lecture circuit

While everyone else has a day off school today ("Spring Holiday" or some such), I'll be traveling to the Rolling Prairie Library System in Decatur to talk about teaching ethics and evaluating tricky stuff on the Web. A week from tomorrow (yes, a Saturday), I'll head north to the North Suburban Library System for a similar round of talks.

Sometime between now and then I hope to be able to spend more time with the book I'm reading for my away-from-school book group, Anthony Trollope's Ayala's Angel. Here are the thoughts of Frank Houston, a gentleman of no profession (which was common and expected), but also no inherited income. He is forced to confront his duty, which is to court Gertrude, who does not inspire his love, but would provide him with the means to sustain his position and lifestyle:

"Gertrude hadn't got any turn of a neck to speak of. Gertrude was a stout, healthy girl; and, having 120,000 pounds, was entitled to such a husband as himself. If he waited longer he might be driven to worse before he found the money which was so essentially necessary. He was grateful to Gertrude for not being worse, and was determined to treat her well. But as for love, romance, poetry, art, -- all that must for the future be out of the question."

Wouldn't it just be easier to go to school and get a job? Not in those days, not in that sphere. Poor Frank, poor Gertrude, but what fun for me.