Visit to Lancaster University

If you’ve been following me on Facebook, you’ll know that I was recently in England doing some steampunk research (tidbits of which will appear on this blog, even though I’m the world’s worst blogger). Anyway, part of the trip was a visit to Lancaster University.

You know me–all about the onsite research. I met my dissertation supervisor, Dr. John Schad, over lunch in town. You’ve heard the word brainstorm? That’s kind of how he is–all the time. His mind never stops working, popping, making connections out of thin air. In just a few seconds I was hauling out my notebook, ducking flying neurons and capturing ideas!

Here’s a promo video for the English & Creative Writing program done a few years ago. Dr. Schad is one of the featured faculty:

Next, I met with Dr. Jenn Ashworth at her office on campus. If Dr. Schad is the idea person on my team, Dr. Ashworth is the logistics person. She helped me map out the plan for my first year of study, and told me what the expectations would be. Since I’m all about organization, too, this made me feel settled and confident that I could survive the first year. Dr. Ashworth is also a multipublished author, so it was no hardship to toddle down to the local Waterstones to pick up some of her books.

A Kind of Intimacy is the first one I’ve read in the stack. Pick up a copy, and tell me what you think is going on about halfway through. My blood ran cold, I’ll tell you. And I couldn’t stop reading.