[Milton-L] Biographies, employment

[Neil Forsyth]

Dear Colleagues

At the British Milton seminar last week, Tom Corns invited me to say  
something in response to the topic 'Future of Milton Studies'.  
Unfortunately I blathered, and thus foolishly missed the chance to  
say something about my new biography. The book is indeed designed, as  
Tom kindly mentioned afterwards, to attract people beyond the world  
of Miltonists — ways to 'reach out' was indeed one of the principle  
topics of that 'Future' discussion — but also to help students know  
what they are getting into, and why it might be worth doing. The book  
also offers reasons to encourage our fellows to read Milton, as do  
many books being published this year, some of which I have been  
reviewing. The new biography by Tom and Gordon Campbell, to which  
Will Poole referred, will soon occupy much of the attention of the  
scholarly community, for obvious and very good reasons. But the other  
aspect of our communal efforts, reaching out to the larger world,  
will also be assessed when we review what we have been doing as a  
community during this anniversary year.

Just in case anyone might be able to help., and while I am pressing  
the self-advertising button, may I ask you all to take note that,  
since I am obliged by the local system here in Lausanne to retire  
next year, I would welcome the chance to continue teaching in a  
university that does not insist on rigid rules for retirement. I feel  
as if I have many good years ahead of me, and some of you will know  
that feeling. The system here admits of very little flexibility,  
though I have been offered one extra year part-time — all the  
authorities can manage, it seems. I'll be coming to San Francisco for  
the MLA in December, and in case anyone has any ideas or openings,  
I'd welcome some suggestions. I'd be open to 'visiting prof' status,  
for example, or even to part-time options, so much do I want to keep  
teaching. Perhaps my publication record might encourage some  
enterprising university to take a chance.

Best wishes to all

Neil Forsyth