I keep insisting, and I am sure I am right, that you in fact learned how to do academic work if you have a degree from anything like a reputable institution, and that you got it from the program itself. Where else do you get advice? This is the submerged question, since much of the … More Coda on advice and its sources I
Z: Did you enjoy Madison? Person from Houston: Yes, but it was really hard. Z: How so? Is it really as cutthroat as one sometimes hears? Person from Houston: No. It was that I had to learn how not to defer to men. You are not expected to do that there, and doing it does … More Another dialogue, another fact
Person: This is like being in Mexico in the 1820s. Z (laughs): Perhaps it is really about 1830 (if this is Mexico). There has been a post-Independence civil struggle. Only the winning leaders were not killed. Of the peons and civilians, I am the only one left standing, although I am wounded. All the other … More A dialogue, and one fact
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
My accomplishments for today include seeing that I must move myself from the space of conquered person to the space of equal. The first step up was prisoner of war, as opposed to conquered person. Then I thought, what about free soldier from the other side. Then I thought I might go the whole way, … More Review session
“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
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
coldhearted scientist وداد 