Hello, I am the Madder Hatter. If you have stumbled across this blog perhaps you are thinking I must be mad to have chosen such a silly name. Perhaps you suspect that I plan to celebrate my very merry un-birthday 364 days of the year. Perhaps you are simply wondering what the purpose of this blog is altogether. Well, in the words of the Mad Hatter himself, "I shall elucidate".
Let me start with the name. I find the Mad Hatter to be a lovable character. He is crazy and funny in his own unique way from his top hat to his absurd tea parties attended by his silly animal companions. I suppose the real question is whether I am mad enough to take a form of his name.
By all conventional ways of reckoning I am indeed mad. Probably more so than most people. First of all I am a Medievalist. That is, I study the Middle Ages. My love and knowledge of the Middle Ages colors the way I see the world and is the source of many of my strange ideas about it, including my views on technology, which is magic of course. I have had the fleeting moment of doubt about my sanity. Some days I think to myself that the world is a truly mad place and it really isn't me that is mad after all. Truth is, the world is mad and so am I.
Now, most people who find themselves burdened by a love of the Middle Ages would take up its study as a hobby. I am not most people. I studied it in undergrad and decided that this was not enough. So I went and completed an MA degree in Medieval Studies. Upon it's completion I found myself largely, and unsurprisingly, unemployable. So I did the most ridiculous thing imaginable and went to work for a technological company as an online researcher. Yes, I, the girl who believes that the internet is magic, I now work for an internet company. If this string of oddities and blatant incongruity is not enough to convince you that I am mad, then I can provide a handful of my close friends who will vouch for all the quirks in character that are requisite for such a title.
As to Madder in particular, it is not meant to be the comparative form of mad. It is meant to specifically refer to the color madder, a type of red, though it could, of course, work on both levels of meaning. The color red has its own fascinating history that dates back to antiquity. Although it is not my favorite color I chose to be associated with red because I am a proud member of a group of Scarlet Women. The Scarlet Women are some of the most amazing people in existence, but they are part of another story.
So that is where the Madder Hatter came from. Now all that remains is to explain the purpose of this blog. Wait, you expect me to actually know that? Well, I imagine it will end up being a reflection of my life, a random collection of incongruous ideas and events. But who knows really. This is just the start of the adventure and there is no telling where it will lead.
Perhaps I should end with a quote.
The Mad Hatter: "Have I gone mad?"
Alice: "I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are."
So, I'm in good company. And now that I have come to the end, I'll stop.
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