The Café about melancholy was different from most other Café lectures. Notably, it was given by a Graduate Resident Fellow (GRF) instead of a professor or other professional. It was also more abstract that other Café lectures. I enjoyed the change of pace and appreciated the passion of the presenter. It was clear that she was genuinely enthusiastic about the topic.
While I was able to understand the broad ideas of the discussion I found myself unable to grasp the more nuanced distinctions made about melancholy. As someone who is not familiar with the books and plays referenced, I had difficultly understanding the nuances of the topic. I think that I would have enjoyed the talk much more if I had a previous understanding of the books and plays being discussed.
I did appreciate the discussion about how melancholy is comparable to the seasons because it inevitably comes and goes. This was an interesting conceptualization of melancholy and one that I had never consider prior to the lecture. It also makes sense to me because it seems inevitable that people will feel some sort of melancholy throughout life.
I am glad that I decided to attend a lecture on a topic that was not familiar to me. I feel like it will expand my horizons.
I think one of the most interesting points about this talk was that we looked at melancholy from a different point of view. We often feel emotions instead of analyzing them, but likewise with you, I haven’t considered conceptualizing emotions in such a way. And while understanding the texts did require effort for me, I think that this talk was an eye-opener.