Really enjoyed this excellent and long-delayed inaugural lecture (on Hugo and stars) by a wonderful colleague, Head of Department, scholar, and human being, Prof Fiona Cox -- it was a few weeks ago now, but I am still thinking about it. What a privilege it was to be there.

Here is a close-up of the face.

Here is a close-up of the hand.

Should have said this is Manet's painting, "La Maitresse de Baudelaire". Here is the hand detail I am talking about.

Does anyone recognise this photo? Saw it for the first time yesterday, in the Wikipedia entry for Jeanne Duval, uploaded in late April. If it's really her, I can't believe it isn't better known. Date (1862) rings true.

Ellamae Lepper now on comical marriage contracts: bringing Butler and Bergson to Balzac #SDNDurham2025

Great paper by Lisa Algazi Marcus, chaired by Aine Larkin, on translating Zola's novel La Fécondité #SDNDurham2025