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International Conference on Romanticism–New York City November 8th, 2009

During the past five days I have been in New York City to attend the International Conference on Romanticism, which was held at the CUNY Graduate Center and the City College of New York.  Featuring presentations by Romantic Lit scholars from around the world, the conference was a lively event.  One of the highlights of my conference experience was a trip to the William Blake exhibit at the Pierpont Morgan Library, which featured original engravings from such masterpieces as Visions of the Daughters of Albion, The Book of Urizen, and Europe.  The watercoloured engravings were particularly stunning; it’s no wonder that Blake has been called one of England’s greatest watercolourists.  I had the great good fortune to wander through the exhibit with Mark Lussier, author of numerous studies of Blake’s poetry and designs and one of Blake’s most exuberant students.  It was an inspiring exhibit, and a great privilege to be in the presence of Blake’s great art.