Bibliography

Art historians read a lot. We research and like to look at subjects from different perspectives and debate (read: argue) their merits. When I grade papers, I often start with the bibliography. If the sources are interesting, there's a good chance the essay will follow suit. In that vain, I thought a bibliography would be appropriate for my trip. What am I looking at before I go?

Now personally, I do go a little nuts with the research. I will recall books that are vaguely related to my topic just because they strike my fancy. This explains why I have a copy of Coptic Monasteries: Egypt's Monastic Art and Architecture by Gawdat Gabra amidst a whole stack of books which are part of my "To Do" list. Do I have a good pair of walking shoes yet? No. But I do have the following books at the ready.

Books which I have actually finished reading:

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (Not the most academic choice, but you can't read heavy stuff all the time...)

Culture Smart! Egypt by Jailan Zayan

I will not even begin to list the Rick Steve's and Frommer's guides (plus back issues of Budget Travel) from the library.

Books I'm most likely bringing with me:

Lonely Planet Egyptian Arabic Phrasebook

Blue Guide: Rome, by Alta Macadam.

Islamic Monuments of Cairo: The Practical Guide, by Caroline Williams.

Books I am currently reading, and may actually complete before I leave:

Venice: Lion City: The Religion of Empire by Gary Wills

Miramar by Naguib Mahfouz

Books that I have, but have as much chance of reading them before my trip as I do losing 25 pounds:

The History of Egypt by Glenn Perry

The Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt by W. Stevenson Smith

Egypt, Greece and Rome: Civilizations of Ancient Mediterranean by Charles Freeman

Egypt: An Economic Geography by Fouad N. Ibrahim and Barbara Ibrahim (Well, I did read a couple chapters... does that count?)

I also wanted to read Orientalism by Edward Said. Plus today I met with a lovely colleague who suggested several academic articles and books by Irene Bierman.

With all of this reading, you think I would have a golden ticket to lay in the hammock and get some of this reading done. But sadly, this is the reading I really have to do:

Exams. Two classes worth. Oy-vey.

(Am I missing something in my bibliography? Let me know in the comments below.)