Round the Herne

  My reading of the final chapter of Gore Vidal's "Julian" (1962) and a reflection on some of the themes in the novel and what it has to say about society both then and now. It's an excellent book, highly recommended and, like all great works, stimulates more questions than it answers. Without spoiling anything, this final chapter is a reflection by one of the key figures in the book on life after the Emperor Julian has died and Christianity reasserted itself. Even though it was penned in 1962, this book raises issues that are still relevant in 2024.

 As part of my job I organise various public conferences and seminars. This year we are trialing a few online mini courses in social sciences, starting with three evenings introducing some sociological theories and ideas. These are free to participate in, but you will need to let me know that you want to take part so the Teams link can be sent out. The first of these seminars takes place tonight at 7.30pm and is followed by another session next Tuesday evening and the one after that. The weekly topics are below. If you want the link, drop me an email at robin.herne@easterneducationgroup.ac.uk (the under-16s will need parental permission to tune in). What’s the Big (sociological) Idea – these virtual sessions explore major sociological theories: Week 1: Max Weber, Emile Durkheim and the Functionalists; Week 2: Simone de Beauvoir, Judith Butler, and Feminism; Week 3: Michel Foucault and Postmodernism.