September 29, 2004
Charlotte Brewer, a Fellow and Tutor in English at Hertford College of Oxford University in England, will explore the reasons why writers find dictionaries, particularly the
Oxford English Dictionary, so fascinating. Her talk is the annual Hertford College Lecture, which will be held on
Wednesday, Sept. 29, at 4:30 p.m., in Wilde Auditorium, Harry Jack Gray Center, University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford.
The lecture is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. For tickets to the Hertford College Lecture, contact the University box office at 860.768.4228.
Brewer is currently writing a book on the
Oxford English Dictionary, which she calls a treasure-trove of words and meanings covering almost the whole of English literature, from the year 1150 to the present day. Brewer notes that writers, such as W.H. Auden, one of the major literary figures and poets of the 20th century, have often looked to the
Oxford English Dictionary for creative inspiration.
In her talk, Brewer will look at Auden, who was an obsessive reader of all 13 volumes of the first edition of the
Oxford English Dictionary, the most comprehensive dictionary of the English language ever produced. Auden once said that if marooned on a desert island, he would choose to have with him “a good dictionary” in preference to “the greatest literary masterpiece imaginable, for, in relation to its readers, a dictionary is absolutely passive and may legitimately be read in an infinite number of ways.”
The University’s ongoing relationship with Hertford College includes a scholarship program for University of Hartford students to study at the College and an annual lecture at the University by Hertford College scholars.
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