Le Cénacle

This blog is inspired by the 19^th century intellectual group called “Le Cénacle.” The primary purpose of Le Cénacle was to revive the old monarchial spirit, the spirit of mediaeval mystery, spiritual submission in French literature. It first formed around the Deschampes brothers and their Muse Française. Le Cénacle first formed around the Deschamps brothers and their Muse Française. Emile Deschamps translated Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet, wrote some libretti, and produced two plays. Antoni Deschamps wrote the first known literary work inspired by absinthe: Adversus Absynthium, 1847. In 1827 the Cénacle moved to Victor Hugo’s house in the rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs. Over the years memebership included Alfred de Vigny, Alfred de Musset, Prosper Mérimée, Dumas Pere, Victor Hugo, Alphonse de Lamartine, Sainte-Beuve, Théophile Gautier*, Gérard de Nerval* , Petrus Borel*. (These last three were more bohemian Romantics and were known as the Petit Cénacle.) The response that surrounded Hugo’s Hernani (1830) was overwhelming and ended the battle of the Romantics which ceased the conventions of Classicism.

So now that you’ve had your history lesson for the day, let’s talk about why I’m really here. I’ve been blogging/journaling for years, and it’s high time I start writing something consequential as opposed to my normal quibbling. Frankly, the world does not care about my views on the latest celebrity sex scandal, or the lack of sex or scandal in my own life. And truthfully, what’s to say you care about anything I have to say? Well, the fact that you read through a history lesson about a group of intellectuals during the French Romantic period and you’re still reading is a decent indicator that you’re willing to hear me out.

Excuse me while I digress to the matter at hand: why I am writing. I have ideas and thoughts. And presently I have few outlets in which to discuss said thoughts and ideas. I’m a master’s student studying arts administration in a Midwestern city, and over the past nine months I’ve discovered that my opinions are worth less than nothing. They’re almost a toxic asset (Ha! Look at me apply the little accounting knowledge I have.). Too bad I don’t get a bailout. That doesn’t mean what I have to say isn’t important. It just provides evidence against the true ideals of academia. Why have discussion based classes when a professor renders any opinions other than his/her own as moot? It seems to defeat the purpose.

So much for an elevator speech… My Intro professor would be so disappointed. At least she’d approve of the mission, or at least I hope she would. You never can tell with her.

The mission of Le Cénacle is to create an open forum for discussion of both socially relevant and irrelevant topics. I encourage discussion, and dissenting opinions are welcome. I can’t guarantee this blog will be life changing or that everything I post will have any meaning to you. The mission allows for a wide range of topics to be discussed, spanning anywhere from opera to cooking to fly-fishing, to sweat shops in Malaysia. As they say, the world is my oyster. I plan on making a pearl with it.