Begin at the Beginning and go on till you come to the End; then stop.

Dear all,

This famous quote by Lewis Caroll has been very much in my mind today as I am getting in gear to start two classes tomorrow, beginning and intermediate Latin.

Our lives are a series of small and big beginnings and ends, unexpected gifts and painful losses. But the perennial beauty and stability of the Latin language, its forms cascading from case to case, from person to person, from tense to tense, provide something solid to grasp on, something to hold onto as you expand and refine your education and your understanding of the world. And your journey in Latin is parallel to mine, because no matter how many times I have taught these two courses, I am always startled and taken by it as if it is the first time I am laying eyes on a Latin text. In short, what I am trying to say is that in Latin there is no beginning, middle, and end. There is only a constant beginning, the endless fascination of the novice. I really hope I can convey this to you throughout the year, as you yourselves will continue to inspire me.

So, for the logistics, and for those of you who are joining in: here is a space for you to post random thoughts about our class (beginning and intermediate), about how Latin informs your understanding of English, or your other courses; post also anything related to the Roman world that peaked your interest (browse previous postings for examples). We all post under the same nickname so you will have to sign your posts (but that is not mandatory). I do not filter the postings, so use the honor code: no profanities or explicit language (unless you are posting Latin grafitti!), and no last names because we will get hits on google and that is annoying. Blog on then, and have a great semester y' all!

EM.