The Lecturn

This lecture was given by Mark Cousins to conclude his 30 year series of Friday Evening Lectures. As a finale, Cousins presented a discussion from the lectern. As a piece of furniture, it possesses historically an ecclesiastical sacredness, and continues to support what is called a lecture. In the talk, Cousins takes apart the idea of a lecture into reading, writing, talking, reflecting, reciting and drawing, which he classifies these practices in all as 'study'. He denies the act of studying being in a parallel category with education, thinking and working, but rather sees it as chains of associations getting into the mind. He further adds two more categories indispensable for studying: fantasy and courage. Study, he says, we don't do enough of it, and we don't do it well enough.