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The first part of the thesis comprises Chapters 1 to 40 of the novel, written under a pseudonym, followed by a synopsis of the remaining chapters, 41 to 155. The potential jacket copy will refer to the protagonists, a male and a female detective. The second part of the thesis is a critical study of the novel. Literary theory and critical methods are used to investigate the writing process and to explicate the text’s layers of meaning, not all of which were clear to the author at the time of writing. Chapter 1 considers literary and creative writing theory, paying particular attention to conceptualisations of author and reader. In Chapter 2, the chosen pseudonym is explained and compared with those of other authors; the novel’s title is also examined. Chapter 3 covers the issue of genre, looking at theories and discussing both crime novel and Gothic fiction. In Chapter 4, critical approaches to character are applied. Chapter 5 does the same with plot. Chapters 6 and 7 take account of the manifestations of power. Chapter 6 covers the body and gender, while Chapter 7 deals with race and class. As a conclusion, Chapter 8 describes how the first draft was transformed to one acceptable for publication.

This thesis proposes elements for a cognitive anthropology of visual art. Most works of art are human-made objects that cannot be approached in purely functional terms, and as such they frustrate important cognitive expectations that people have about artefacts. For this reason, it is hypothesised that art triggers speculation about the artist’s intention, and that it is intuitively approached as a form of communication. By application of Bloom’s (1996) theory of artefact categorisation, and Sperber and Wilson’s (1986/1995) relevance theory of communication, a series of predictions are generated for art categorisation (or definition), art appreciation, and art cultural distribution. Two empirical studies involving more than 1,000 participants tested the most important of these predictions. In study 1, a relationship was found between how much a series of works of art were liked and how easy they were to understand. Study 2 comprised four experiments. In experiment 1, a series of hyperrealistic paintings were preferred when they were labelled as paintings than when they were labelled as photographs. In experiments 2a and 2b, a series of paintings were considered easier to understand and, under some conditions, were preferred, when they were accompanied by titles that made it easier to understand the artist’s intention. In experiment 3, a series of artefacts were more likely to be considered “art” when they were thought to have been created intentionally than when they were thought to have been created accidentally. The results of studies 1 and 2 confirmed the predictions tested, and are interpreted in the framework of relevance theory. The art experience involves speculation about the artist’s intention, and it is partly assessed as a form of communication that is constrained by relevance dynamics. Implications for anthropology of art, psychology of art, and the art world are discussed.

The success of a school is primarily dependent upon leadership (Marzano, McNulty, and Waters, 2005). A principal's skills greatly impact teaching and learning; thus, the degree to which a school is successful depends on an effective leader with a vision for transforming a school. Research from the early 2000s until now suggests that a challenge exists for schools as they seek to decrease the achievement gap and attain success for all students, especially those in low-income areas (Brock and Groth 2003). In the Commonwealth of Virginia, Title I Schools are classified as 'highly distinguished,' 'distinguished,' 'focus,' or 'priority,' schools, based on standardized test performance. Highly distinguished and distinguished schools are identified as meeting or exceeding state and federal accountability measures, while focus and priority schools are schools with large gaps in student achievement between subgroups. The performance of the principal in schools identified as priority or focus is often at the center of school improvement. Principals are required to develop comprehensive school improvement plans and in some cases may be replaced or demoted if academic improvement is not achieved. The question at the center of this study is, what makes some high poverty schools more successful than others? The purpose of this study was to identify the skills and characteristics critically essential for principals tasked with leading Title I schools to high levels of achievement. Through a three round Delphi method, a panel of experts, to include college instructors, supervisors of principals and Title I school principals, reached consensus at 80% or higher identifying 12 skills and 8 characteristics deemed critically essential for Title I school principals leading students to academic success. Establishing a culture of high expectations, demonstrating knowledge of curriculum, instruction and assessment best practices, establishing a safe, caring and positive climate, and leading by example were among the top skills and characteristics identified by the expert panel. The skills and characteristics identified in this study support current research regarding effective school leaders. The findings and implementations could potentially serve as guidelines for human resources personnel, superintendents, supervisors, practitioners, and leadership preparation programs as they look to improve principal leadership in high poverty schools.

El presente artículo pretende resolver las dudas que persisten sobre el título del último tratado político publicado en vida de Quevedo, Marco Bruto, que presenta variaciones de relieve en las distintas referencias críticas. Las causas de tal indeterminación son bibliográficas y textuales: la mutilación parcial de la portada de algún ejemplar de la princeps, una inadecuada delimitación de los datos contenidos en su anteportada y su portada, o las innovaciones introducidas por las ediciones en colección del siglo XVII. El examen minucioso de los ejemplares conservados de las ediciones de 1644 y 1645, contextualizado en unas peculiares circunstancias biobibliográficas relacionadas con el encarcelamiento del autor y el extravío de la segunda parte de la obra tras su muerte, permite concluir que el único título avalado por la historia textual es Primera parte de la vida de Marco Bruto. Así se estampó, sin ninguna variación entre ediciones ni ejemplares, en las dos impresiones hechas bajo su supervisión antes de su muerte.

"© 2007 S. James Anaya."

"This is a second paper resulting from a study sponsored by the Joint Center for Urban Studies of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. Its predecessor is Fiflis, English Registered Conveyancing: A Study in Effective Land Transfer, 59 Nw. U. L. Rev. 468 (1964)."