Scholar Spotlight - Nicole Entin

Laidlaw Scholar Nicole Entin on making art and literature accessible to contemporary audiences and gaining inspiration from fellow Scholars.
Scholar Spotlight - Nicole Entin
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Nicole Entin, a University of St. Andrews Laidlaw Scholar, on making art and literature accessible to contemporary audiences and gaining inspiration from fellow Scholars.

Research title: Alfred Tennyson's Idylls of the King and Other Poems Illustrated by Julia Margaret Cameron: Challenges to Gender Roles and Tradition in the Formation of Victorian Artistic and Literary Legacies

Can a picture truly speak a thousand words? How does a female artistic gaze translate a male poetic voice? What overlooked yet transformative influences on visual and literary culture can be found in a photographically illustrated book of poetry? Such questions guided my research project on the collaboration between the Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron and the British Poet Laureate Alfred Tennyson on the 1875 edition of the Idylls of the King and Other Poems. The project sought to investigate how the book itself, as well as Cameron’s integration into a male-dominated artistic and literary culture, challenged Victorian perceptions of gender roles and impacted the development of Pictorialism and Modernism during the fin de siècle. My research paper examined this topic through an overarching theme of artistic, contextual, and social transformations embodied in the 1875 Idylls and the creative practices of Cameron and Tennyson.

Although my research involved looking back at materials that were nearly one hundred and fifty years old in order to discover new meanings within Cameron’s photographic interpretation of one of the defining poems of the Victorian era, my project strives to demonstrate that these seemingly distant cultural narratives are still influential in the contemporary age. My objective for the project has been to inspire people to view the literary and artistic movements of the past as continually shaping the ways in which we perceive the arts, rather than as isolated and temporally removed. I began this process in my paper by demonstrating the impact of the 1875 Idylls and its creators on subsequent late nineteenth and early twentieth-century art and literature, and aspire to develop my research into a Leadership in Action project that makes the products of past cultural movements directly relevant and accessible to contemporary audiences.

Where did your passion for this research originate?

When listening to a lecture on Victorian photography given by my now-supervisor, Dr Luke Gartlan, the slides dedicated to Julia Margaret Cameron and the 1875 Idylls fascinated me for a number of reasons. As a joint major in Art History and English, I was curious whether anybody had interpreted this hybrid artistic and poetic work through an interdisciplinary lens. Furthermore, I later learned that the second volume of the Idylls – and numerous materials related to Cameron and Tennyson – could be found in the Special Collections of my own university.

Over the course of researching these incredible materials from the largest collection of photopoetry in the UK, I realised that I was fulfilling a personal ambition that was nearly nine years in the making. I recalled my sixth grade class excursion to the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library in my hometown of Toronto, where librarians talked to us about the history of book making and the process of archival research while showing us beautiful illuminated manuscripts. After this experience, I resolved that I’d look at rare books in a library all the time when I would go to university. While my eleven year-old self might be slightly disillusioned by all the deadlines and tasks that an undergraduate student has, I think she’d also be happy that her childhood ambition was eventually realised. That early passion for literature and learning developed into an aspiration to share that experience of wonder by making the arts continuously accessible and relatable in our day-to-day lives.

A collage of memories from my time as a Laidlaw Scholar thus far. All photographs are my own. Images of materials from the Special Collections of the University of St Andrews are credited to the University of St Andrews Libraries and Museums: Photo TR652.C2E75, Vol. 2 (second image, top row); Photo TR681.F3T46 (second image, middle row and third image, bottom row); r PR5550.E62 (first image, bottom row).
A collage of memories from my time as a Laidlaw Scholar thus far.
All photographs are my own. Images of materials from the Special Collections of the University of St Andrews are credited to the University of St Andrews Libraries and Museums: Photo TR652.C2E75, Vol. 2 (second image, top row); Photo TR681.F3T46 (second image, middle row and third image, bottom row); r PR5550.E62 (first image, bottom row).

What is the most memorable moment from your Laidlaw experience? 

In my Laidlaw application, I remember discussing my hope to meet a group of passionate fellow scholars and to learn about the subjects they thought were most important in their fields. Although Laidlaw has given me many memorable experiences, from studying rare books to meeting inspiring people in research centres and trusts, the moment in which I knew that this programme would be truly transformative was the leadership weekend where I first met the rest of the 2022 St Andrews cohort. Not knowing most of the other people there – and not even knowing where we were going – we boarded a bus to a historic country house and arts centre in Arbroath. While during the day we listened to presentations about effective leadership strategies and participated in activities to strengthen our research skills, in the evenings we chatted about the courses we were taking, explored the house and its grounds, and bonded over ruthless games of UNO and a mutual love of sweet and spicy carrots. Not only was this trip a great and instructive masterclass in leadership, the company I found there made me even more grateful for the opportunity to participate in this programme.

What is the biggest challenge you came across, and what did you learn from it? 

Although I am a believer in the maxim of quality over quantity, I’ve always thought that a ‘quantity of good quality’ should be a third option to that choice. Even as I write these responses, I find myself wishing that I had another hundred words to express my passion for the subjects that I research. So perhaps the biggest challenge that I encountered in my first summer of research was having to condense an abundance of exciting materials and concepts into a three thousand-word research paper. How could I simultaneously write on highly specific ideas about the nineteenth-century Arthurian Revival while conveying the significance of the relatively new medium of photography to a contemporary reader, who has quite literally grown up with photography at their fingertips? While it would be nice to have the best of both worlds from quantity and quality, word limits are a very real consideration at all levels of academia. Over the course of writing my paper, I learned not to focus on the ‘limit’ aspect, and rather appreciate what a shorter format is capable of bringing to one’s writing: clarity, foregrounding the most important ideas, and accessibility.

What does it mean for you to be a Laidlaw Scholar?

The Laidlaw Scholarship has been one of the most exciting opportunities of my university career thus far. Being a Laidlaw Scholar means being part of a community of dedicated and like-minded people who bring out your most authentic self as you pursue your passion. My fellow Scholars at St Andrews constantly inspire me with their drive, inventiveness, and curiosity in their diverse fields of research, and have become close friends as well as colleagues. My research supervisors, Dr Luke Gartlan and Dr Gregory Tate, as well as the Laidlaw administrators at the University of St Andrews, have been invaluable sources of guidance and advice during this journey. Being a Scholar not only means having the chance to develop yourself as a leader and a thinker, and inspiring others with your vision, but also being part of an amazing global community capable of making a difference in the world.

Which leaders inspire you and why?

I have grown up being inspired by Canadians who continue to demonstrate values of resilience, curiosity, and compassion in times when it feels like you see nothing on the news but conflict, corruption, and disregard for the environment perpetuated by some of the most important global leaders.

One of the leaders who inspired me from an early age is the Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, whose book, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, was the first autobiography I ever read. Despite working in a very different field from my own, Hadfield’s approach to demystifying outer space and advocating for international cooperation in the sciences through his videos, writings, and music inspires me in my own ambitions to promote accessibility in the arts, especially to younger audiences. 

Another Canadian leader who I admire is Lisa LaFlamme, a news anchor who covered many of the defining events of the twenty-first century, and an avid advocate for women and children’s rights. Not only has LaFlamme’s integrity and dedication as the chief anchor of CTV National News served as an inspiration to aspiring journalists, she uses her position of leadership to create positive change by volunteering with charities that train journalists across the globe.  

Briefly describe a scene from the future you are striving to create.

Every time I hear the phrase ‘defunding the arts’, I envision a future where the idea of doing so is inconceivable. It’s difficult for me to imagine how people measure a subject’s value based on its potential for concrete application or ability to generate revenue – especially when the arts unite humanity by reflecting the anxieties and hopes of a generation. Could you imagine not having had your favourite books, films, music, and TV shows to help you get through the COVID-19 lockdowns? 

I hope that I could participate in creating a future where an active appreciation for the arts is fostered in children from a young age, especially works that reflect the diverse voices of the global community. Students should learn to understand past cultural narratives and their influence on contemporary forms of expression, but also be encouraged to think critically about those narratives to build ones of their own.

 


Quick-fire Questions

📺 Currently binging: Extraordinary Attorney Woo

📚 My top book recommendations: As an English major and certified book nerd, my book recommendations are constantly changing. This past month, however, I’ve found myself frequently recommending Flights by the Nobel Prize-winning Polish author Olga Tokarczuk, a beautiful novel about the journeys that bodies take across space and time.



🎵 My current anthem: King (Florence + The Machine)

 🎧 Podcast obsession: I don’t listen to many podcasts, but the radio show Quirks and Quarks has always been a favourite of mine.

🌈 Something that made me feel joy recently: I take outdoor yoga classes every Saturday and Sunday, and it’s always one of the highlights of my week. Feeling the sun and the breeze coming from the lake as I dedicate time to anchor myself in the present moment and build an empowering practice that honours my mind and my body brings me plenty of joy.

❤️ A cause I care about: The ongoing invasion of Ukraine is a constant reminder of the necessity for international cooperation in order to protect the democratic rights of sovereign nations and the lives of innocent people. Having family in Ukraine, this is a cause that is extremely close to my heart. A few charities that I would recommend supporting in regards to relief and humanitarian aid include the Ukrainian government’s United24 initiative, Razom for Ukraine, Save the Children, and Doctors Without Borders.


 

You can find Nicole on LinkedIn or Facebook. If you are interested in learning more about her work on the 1875 Idylls, you can read her research paper or have a look at her poster.

Nicole is a Laidlaw Undergraduate Leadership and Research Scholar at the University of St. Andrews. Become a Laidlaw Scholar to conduct a research project of your choice, develop your leadership skills, and join a global community of changemakers from world-leading universities.

Find out more about the Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Scholarship.

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