Hannah Hoskins, a graduate of Rice University, and her father Paul, both of Fort Worth, Texas, attended last year’s Dickens Universe together. The following is an interview with both of them about their experiences during the week. We hope to see them again this year for The Old Curiosity Shop, and that their story will encourage other families to consider attending together.
–Beth Penney, Interviewer
My understanding is that one of you came to the Universe first, and then persuaded the other to attend. Can you tell us how that happened, and when?
Paul: That’s right. Hannah came in the Tale of Two Cities year (2023) through the Rice University Minter Scholarship with Dr. Helena Michie. She came home raving about the conference and told me that I simply had to join her the following year for Great Expectations, which I happily did.
When did each of you first become interested in Dickens?
Hannah: it was when I read Tale of Two Cities in my senior year of high school. I then took a seminar on Dickens and other classes that included him at Rice University. I went on to write my undergraduate thesis project on Tale of Two Cities, even though that is not my favorite Dickens book (by a long shot!).
Paul: I read Dickens as a young person and was always fascinated with his storytelling ability. My grandmother once gave me a rather large tome of Dickens's works, which I aspired to read. Like Hannah, I was an English major in college, and I really like novels from the 18th and 19th centuries.
What are your backgrounds, Dickens or otherwise?
Hannah: I was an English and philosophy major in college. I love reading and studying and Victorian-era novels and culture. At my graduation, the Fondren Library at Rice University gave me a full set of Dickens's works (a prized possession).
Paul: I was an English major in college back in the 1990's but have taught Bible courses for years. I love literature--studying it, writing about it, and so on.
What parts of the Universe you attended together did you enjoy the most? Can you give us some other feedback about the week? Any funny father-and-daughter stories?
Paul: We loved the time that we got to spend together in our discussion group with the grad students (we were in the same group) and taking notes together on the evening lectures.
Hannah: I had to bargain hard for my dad to come with me, but I eventually convinced him! I still remember when we got our room assignments, and my dad plopped himself down, and I said, "How does it feel to be back at college?" and we both laughed. It really is an amazing experience, both academically and personally. We loved doing the dancing practice every night together. I also loved sharing with him the people I had been talking about all year! I also finally got to show my dad how my weird Victorian bustle-hoop-skirt worked, which was really fun.
Paul: I was surprised by my enjoyment of PPP.
Hannah: Actually, when we got back to Fort Worth, we did a scavenger hunt to find the exact brand of port wine that they served so we could have our own PPP!
Paul: We both really enjoyed the Victorian dancing and recently found an English country dancing group near us. Our most endearing father/daughter story was probably the great fun that we had at the Victorian ball. That was a real highlight for us both. Hannah did a great job of introducing me to so many people. I loved seeing her mix and mingle with her Dickens Universe friends. We will remember spending this week together for the rest of our lives!
Do you plan to attend together again?
Paul: We would love to attend again. Hannah is already talking about the summer of 2025 and the Dickens Universe.
Hannah: I'm still working on my dad to come with me. Here's to hoping!!
Anything else you'd like to add about your experience?
Hannah and Paul: This is such a great conference. We are so thankful for the many efforts to put on a conference that is both academic and fun. We both like to learn, and to have fun at the same time.
