Research for the present, frivolous post led me to a marvelous quotation: “Do you know the sum total of my ambition? It’s to have an intelligent, well-read man shut himself up with my book for four hours and to give him an orgy of historical hashish. That’s all I want.” –GF, January 1860 (apud Henri … More Gustave Flaubert
Despite the fact that I should not need or want glasses because I have contact lenses, I do want them and I am convinced I need them; despite the fact that I can survive with two different pairs of dime store glasses, I want real ones and I think this is reasonable. Despite the fact … More On Corrective Lenses
I have a Flax dress (a 2008 dress, sort of a cross between the bias slip dress and the sunshine dress) and the head painter informs me it is too sheer. It scared the carpenter, who is afraid to look at me now, and who informed the head painter that this dress could be detrimental … More A Serious Question on (a) Dress
Graduation was this weekend and meetings about next year start tomorrow. Since next year starts tomorrow, we will remember to write our own job descriptions and not volunteer. I have of course just agreed to chair a really onerous committee for the next two years, so I am not qualified to speak on this matter … More Next Year Starts Now
11:04 PM in the Crescent City, and the river is going to rise. Despite this distraction we are closing in on the answer to our general question. You have to do what you want to, but the problem in our day was that women were not to think of what they wanted to do. Rather, … More On Doing What You Want To
I have heard this many times, but in fact I do believe I am unlike the others. Neither the management of time, nor of money, nor of “impulses” is difficult for me. Most advice on life does not apply to me because it is about these three topics. I am unlike some others, too, in … More “Do Not Think You Are Not Like the Others”
So the reason I am obsessed with Robert Boice is, what he has to say applies to me in part and in part, not. I think he assumes one is either interested in one’s work, and so is at least not trying to force that, or is not interested, and so must force it. And … More Et encore…
I am moving this post up because it got no comments and I really want to know: what do you think goes into condescension? It is a power move, but (a) do you think it is undertaken to cover insecurity or (b) just for the fun of putting someone down? Mostimportantly, do you think condescenders … More On Condescension
This repost is dedicated, variously, to Clarissa, Feminéma, Jonathan Mayhew, Historiann, New Kid on the Hallway, Tenured Radical, and Undine, to a few others I have forgotten, to some interesting assistant professor blogs like Paper Chase and Uentdenckt that have disappeared. Remember, I am for the rights of adjuncts and I believe they should have … More On Being New Faculty
I do not want yet more discipline, I want to fall apart and sleep for a long time. Then, I want to work on my new life, not grind away at the old one on the theory that if I just motivate myself in the right way everything will be all right. Unfortunately I really … More On Advice
coldhearted scientist وداد 