This went medium well. I am glad I was as prepared as I was, down to the last drop. What I want to say is that as I train myself to be as obsequious as is considered meet, I train myself out of the authority to finish any writing project, too. I first noticed this … More Event, part 1
“Sandinista” is the word they used to use here for people who wanted progress and disagreed with the old President. One could not afford to voice such disagreement but “Sandinistas” could be identified if one looked closely. They would flash covert signs of comprehension. As you will remember, sandinistas were clandestine. I learned from the … More “Sandinista”
That was Shenandoah, whose smiling valley I long to see. Now, as promised, we will talk briefly about this piece, by a valuable person but one more conservative than I. 1/- My general complaint about all columns like this is that people keep explaining how to write and exhorting to move “anywhere,” but evade the … More Shenandoah
Everyone in the writing group is getting more done than I am and seems to have a more stable life than I, and is probably putting more rational time into work as well. I know how it feels to have a slightly better situation and I am half envious but mostly ashamed that we are … More Planctus on my twisted ego
I have to go, I am late, but these are the things I want to discuss: – Astrology for academic job seekers. I am not joking. Location matters a great deal, for instance, although not in the ways people claim. There is a great deal else you can learn from your chart about what to … More Being and Place
I like a calm rhythm and to be getting somewhere, or at least getting the chance to do something right. Do you have this in your job? I have had it in some jobs, but this one is like working on an assembly line that is also an obstacle course where, moreover, the ceiling is … More Is it within your power to make a part of your work day satisfying?
Here is an interesting post, on which I of course have interesting comments. Now the question is, how do these voices get installed in one? I always liked school because it was, precisely, not attempting to install such voices. Some of the academic jobs I have had, or some whitemen in them, have made mighty … More On evil inner voices
I have to talk about this at some point. My good colleague is not wrong and I would love to be in her department. But she is quite a different person from me. I am going off to my Monday meeting of terror, prelude to my Tuesday of horror, after which we will be home … More Lundi
Last night at the football game, where I was because of my exchange student, one of the important guests was a very trailblazing and high achieving alumna, the highlights of whose resumé were read. “Who cares,” chanted the crowd, “Who cares.” This alumna is a Black woman. The chants of “Who cares” turned to boos … More Southern hospitality
In Reeducation, one was not supposed to be able to handle the stress of adult life. To be able to do so was “denial” of how difficult it “must really be” and, more frighteningly, indicated an absence of “feeling”. If one lacked this “feeling” one might have a very severe problem and need very severe treatment. In … More More on Reeducation
