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Page Six
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Friday, November 6, 1970
PQge Six THE MICHIGAN DAILY F ridoy, November 6, 1970
To create a
Chaucer
By BETH OBERFELDER,
One Friday, last September,
Professor Tom Garbaty, rushed
out of his "Chaucer" class to
board a 727 which landed in
Norman, Oklahoma. A car was
waiting for him at the airport
which he drove to the Univer-
sity of Oklahoma where he met
the 36 other scholars from Eu-
rope and America with whom
he would be working during for
the next 10-15 years. Together
those who met at the confer-
ence expect to produce the ma-
jor Chaucerian work of the cen-
tury.
The invitation which Gar-
baty received last May from
Paul Ruggiers, the initiator of
this program, read, "the time is
ripe for an undertaking of this
!magnitude particularly one that
has the whole hearted support
of the community of Chaucer
scholars. It may well be that
such a cumulative edition of the
Works of Chaucer may consti-\
tute the major contribution of
the wentieth century to Chaucer
studies." Garbaty, representing
the University of Michigan, is
anxious to begin work on the
variorum, he said to his class,
"We're both, we're teachers and
scholars, I get as much a kick
in this class as I do there. .."
Presently "there" is working
on the C h a u c e r Variorum,
whether in Oklahoma or in the
grad-library stacks. A variorum
is a composite of fasicles done
on all of aspecific author's
works. In the past, variorums
have covered great writers as
Shakespeare and Spencer. Chau-'
cer's Variorum will one volume
of commentary on each Can,
terbury Tale, on Troilus and
Cresida, and on his poems. Each
scholar present at the confer-
ence has selected a specific work
which will receive his devout at-
tention during the next 10 to
15 years. The individual fasicles
will be published upon comple-
tion, and the final edition is
expected to appear in 1985 . .
pending financial aid. By No-
vember 15, they should be 95 per
cent sure of being backed by the
National Endowment for the
Humanities.
Under the auspices of the
University of Michigan, Tom
Garbaty will be working here on
"Sir Topaz." This tale is one
which Chaucer, himself, tells in
falaweshipe to the pilgrimes
"That toword Caunterbury wol-
den ride." For his volume in the
Variorum Edition of Chaucer,
Garbaty will be calling on all
criticisms of "Sir Topaz." He
says it is frightening to imagine
trying to cover all commentary
without offending anyone, for
example, the scholar in India-
whose work he may not discover.
The professor will be aided in
this mammoth research project
by his grad-seminar next se-
mester.- Feeling this will be a
very promising contribution to
the literary world, Garbaty said,
"As a student I never knew any
of this went on-this real be-
hind the scenes stuff."
Along this same line of work,
professors here at the University
have been working on a Middle
English Dictionary (just try
reading The Canterbury Tales
for the first time without a
translation - then think how
nice a dictionary would be!).
rriorurm
Alas, it is only half finished and
is presently residing on the fifth
floor of Haven Hall. Perhaps
with the completion of this dic-
tionary, the Medieval literary
world will become more access-
able to more people.
Work in the esoteric fields
often seems dull and 'ivory tow-
er' to those not involved in it.
But Garbaty's interest in Chau-
cer makes his work in the vario-
rum particulary envigorating to
him, while the final creation will
hold long reaching influence to
the students of Chaucer, both
dilettantes and serious.
'U
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Daily Official Bulletin
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6
DayCalendar
Department of Germanic Languages
and Literatures and Center for Co-
ordination of Ancient and M o d e r n
Studies - Holderlin Bicentennial Syns-
posiumn - Multipurpose Room, Un-
dergraduate Library, 9:00 a.m.
Physics and Astronomy Lecture -
Chia-wei Wop, University of Illinois,
"The Method of Correlated.Basis Func-
tions for Helium",. P e A Colloquium
Room, 12.:ni.
Department of Astronomy Lecture'-
Dr. George Collins II, 'Oio State Uni-
versity,*Evid4enefor Uftreme Rot-
tion and Early Type Stars": P & A Col-
1Pquium Room, 4:00 p.m.
Cinema 'Guild: Unfaithfully Yours,
Architecture' Auditorium, '7:00 a n d
9:05 p.m.
Soph Show: Can-Can: Lydia.Men-
delsohn Theatre, 7:00 and 10:00 p.m.
International Folk Dance - Barbour
Gym, 7:30 p.m.
Joint Concert: U-M and University of
Illinois Men's' Glee Clubs: Willis Pat-
terson and William Olsen, conductors:
Hill Auditorium,' 8:00 p.m.
Degree 'Recital: Julia Giacobassi,
oboe: School of Music Recital Hall,
8:00 p.m.
University Players (Department of
(Continued on Page 7)
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THE PROJECT COMMUNITY
PRESENTS
A Children's Film Festival
EVERY SATURDAY
Starting November 7th through December 19th
at CANTERBURY HOUSE-330 Maynard St.
From 10 A.M. to '12 Noon
FREE REFRESHMENTS AT INTERMISSION
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FILM SCHEDULE
NOV. 7 (FROM FANTASIA) A WORLD IS BORN
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS
MOONBIRD
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EARLIER THIS YEAR IN A RECORDING STUD
MUSICIAN NAMED B. B. KING
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