February 28, 2011 So last Sunday, resident Milton expert Margie Thickstun put on a marathon reading of Paradise Lost. That's 10,565 lines! The reading started at noon, and folks came and went throughout the day to read various characters. I got to be Satan! I know that playing the father of Sin and Death isn't exactly the most admirable role, but it was actually a lot of fun!
My favorite part of the reading was that it wasn't limited to those of us taking the class. Over 50 people came and read throughout the day! I especially liked President Stewart's reading of God. Professors Oerlemans and Collett also performed excellently. But they were both Satan in different parts of the poem, so I had a tough act to follow when it was my turn to read! And even though Adam and Eve ended up getting punished and kicked out of Paradise (who knew, right?), I think everybody at the reading had a good time.
Also, like any good event, there were T-shirts and food! Margie made delicious rasberry bars and ordered Indian Cafe for dinner. Because if you're going to read a Christian poem for ten hours, you might as well have Indian food, right? And now, when I walk around campus sporting my "Whom shall we find sufficient?" T-shirt, I can say: "Oh, this? Yeah, I got it when I tricked Eve into tasting the forbidden fruit whereupon God turned me into a snake. Where'd you get your shirt?"
All around a good day, I'd say. Until next time!
This entry's Shout Out goes to Margie Thickstun, who sat in the library for the entire ten hour reading. You deserve it.
Major / Minor: English / Mathematics and Anthropology
Activities: The Spectator, Resident Advisor, Study Buddies, Tutoring, Project Shine
Favorite Pastimes: Trivia Night, Humans vs. Zombies, awesome conversations at the language tables, playing Nintendo 64
Hometown: Geneseo, N.Y.
High School: Geneseo Central School
