Gale Ambassadors – Page 20

The ‘Real’ Peaky Blinders of Small Heath, Birmingham

October 4, 2023February 14, 2018 by Gale Ambassadors

│ By Megan Murphy, Gale Ambassador at the University of Liverpool │

The hit BBC drama series Peaky Blinders – which is set in Birmingham and follows the lives of the Shelby brothers and their criminal gang the ‘Peaky Blinders’ – has captivated the minds and imagination (and – thanks to lead star Cillian Murphy – the hearts) of the British public. Given the recent fascination with Birmingham’s criminal underworld that the series has generated, I thought it would be interesting to use Gale Primary Sources to investigate the ‘real’ Peaky Blinders of late nineteenth-century Birmingham.

La creación de un “personaje”: individualidad y vida universitaria en la obra A este lado del paraíso de F. Scott Fitzgerald

October 4, 2023February 2, 2018 by Gale Ambassadors

Por Paula Maher Martin, Gale Ambassador en la Universidad NUI Galway

Para leer esta publicación de blog en inglés, haga clic aquí.

Como “un miembro de la ‘Generación perdida’ o una encarnación de juventud y belleza (condenada a desvanecerse)”, así retrató a Francis Scott Fitzgerald el The Times Literary Supplement en 1958. Consolidado como una figura mítica a lo largo del siglo XX, su escritura se sobrepuso con su personaje y reverberó con espumoso champán y caricias de jazz: la dulce indolencia de los años 20. Su primera novela A este lado del paraíso, publicada en 1920, pronto se convirtió en un best-seller. De acuerdo a The Times, en 1921 Fitzgerald ya había vendido 75,000 copias de su opera prima.

The creation of a ‘personage’: individuality and university life in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise

October 4, 2023February 1, 2018 by Gale Ambassadors

By Paula Maher Martin, Gale Ambassador at NUI Galway

To read this blog in Spanish, click here

A member of the ‘Lost Generation’ or a personification of youth or beauty (doomed to fade), thus is Francis Scott Fitzgerald portrayed in The Times Literary Supplement in 1958. Consolidated as a figure of myth over the 20th century, his writing overlaps with his persona and reverberates with foaming champagne and jazz caresses, the sweet indolence of the 1920s. His first novel, This Side of Paradise, published in 1920, became an instant best-seller; according to The Times, Fitzgerald had already sold 75,000 copies of his opera prima by 1921.

James Greenwood – Social Reformer or Opportunist?

October 4, 2023January 24, 2018 by Gale Ambassadors

by Rory Herbert

James Greenwood was an author of relative obscurity who came to fame abruptly following the publication of his serial A Night in the Workhouse in the 1860s by the Pall Mall Gazette. He soon found himself rising through the ranks of the Victorian social ladder and became one of the leading social commentators of his age. This revolutionary piece saw Greenwood experience the conditions of a workhouse firsthand in one of the first examples of investigative journalism. Yet, while his work was quickly adopted by social reformers and critics alike, it seems the author himself was somewhat less interested in the people he claimed to support and, instead, focused on appealing to a wider audience.

Trouble in Toxteth: Representations of the 1981 Riots in Liverpool in the National Press

October 4, 2023January 17, 2018 by Gale Ambassadors

By Megan Murphy

Although Toxteth (an inner-city area of Liverpool) is now a proud and diverse community – one that is home to many independent businesses, local street markets and an urban regeneration project that was awarded the Turner Prize in 2015 – it is an area with a troubled past. In July 1981, four consecutive days of rioting in Toxteth resulted in the hospitalisation of 258 police officers, 160 arrests, 150 buildings being burnt to the ground, and countless businesses looted, with more destruction and injuries in the weeks that followed.[1]

The Top Ten Most Random Articles Found, Using Gale Primary Sources

October 4, 2023January 2, 2018 by Gale Ambassadors

By Tiria Barnes

For this contribution to The Gale Review, I challenged myself to find the 10 most random sources I could in Gale Primary Sources. Armed with a cup of tea and the potential for banter I began to search, hoping to find some gems. I can safely say I was not disappointed!

The roots of ‘ecocriticism’: Exploring the impact of Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’

October 4, 2023December 21, 2017 by Gale Ambassadors

By Anna Sikora:

Ecocriticism (environmental criticism) is not exactly new to the humanities, as it has been around for nearly a quarter of a century, but it is the latest to join the set of lenses – such as Marxism, Postcolonial theory and Feminism – through which students are invited to read literature. Do these theoretical frameworks enhance our understanding of literature and the creative process behind writing? Perhaps yes; perhaps no.

Exploring perceptions of Liverpool’s International Slavery Museum using Gale Primary Sources

October 4, 2023November 30, 2017 by Gale Ambassadors

By Tiria Barnes

The International Slavery Museum, situated in Liverpool’s Albert Dock, explores the transatlantic slave trade and its permanent impact on our world. The museum opened in 2007, the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, and has welcomed more than 3.8 million visitors.[1] As suggested by the museum director, David Fleming, the museum does not claim to be a ‘neutral space’. Instead, it attempts to be an active voice in countering racism and promoting the equality of opportunities. The exhibit is also committed to expressing the bravery of the slaves, opposing the notion that they were merely victims.[2] I thought it would be interesting to explore articles written about the International Slavery Museum using Gale Primary Sources, to learn more about the different ways the museum has been perceived.

Waugh in Print

October 4, 2023November 22, 2017 by Gale Ambassadors

By Daniel Mercieca, Gale Ambassador at Durham University

Evelyn Waugh is best known today for his delicately crafted satirical novels of the 1930s including Decline and Fall, Vile Bodies and Scoop. Only in Waugh do you find such precise comic timing and snappy diction: “Who’s that dear, dim, drunk little man?’ ‘That is the person who shot my son.’ ‘My dear, how too shattering for you. Not dead, I hope?” (Decline and Fall).

Exploring Coverage of Historic Terror Attacks in the News Using Gale Primary Sources

October 4, 2023June 14, 2017 by Gale Ambassadors

By Anita Klich, Gale Ambassador at the University of Portsmouth, UK

On 7 July 2005, four suicide bombers launched attacks in London, killing 52 people and injuring many more. Since then, the government has tightened national security to avoid further incidents of this kind. Unfortunately, over a decade later, the United Kingdom has again become a target for terrorists. In such difficult times, the media’s influence is especially significant, as the selection of stories and tone of the news can construct the public agenda and shape people’s views and opinions. To understand and observe the changes that have occurred in the news coverage of terror attacks in recent times, it is helpful to examine news articles from the first, biggest terrorist attack in London. I was able to explore coverage of the 7 July 2005 bombings in Gale Primary Sources.