Continuous history is the indispensable correlative of the founding function of the subject: the guarantee that everything has eluded him may be restored him; the certainty that time will disperse nothing without restoring it in a reconstituted unity; the promise that one day the subject — in the form of historical consciousness — will once … More Michel Foucault
This post follows the discussion on competition and I came up with it as I tried to figure out how to reorganize my files so as to work better, and considered programs like Scrivener. I saw that Scrivener is a wiki, which is why I find it attractive; it has a sidebar that you can … More You and your career as a wiki
It is said that everyone is competing but I think they are competing down, not up. They are competing for towel space on a crowded beach, as it were. But if you go out past the bathers and through the waves, there are only a few swimmers in the clear water. There is space for … More On competition
Incarcerated as it were, imprisoned in images from long ago, I have been trying to think my way out of it. As children we were not allowed to develop any skills seriously — we should perform well for others, yes, but only as long as we remained amateurs. As adults, can we not go further? … More Fabrication defect
♦ It is evident that I will have to work a lot this semester if I am to make any headway. I cannot waste any time doubting, I cannot waste any time working when I am too tired to work well, and I cannot waste any time recovering from overwork. ♦ I think the most … More Du travail
It is so cold here in Maringouin, no building can stop it. The air-swords find subtle entry to your flesh at every point. I am still reading about Esther Murphy in Lisa Cohen’s book and wondering whether I resemble her, in her intense, yet undisciplined work effort, her struggle to focus, and her planned, yet … More Esther Murphy
What is the Romantic (and I guess the realist) novel about? Writing that I was able to remember how I was going to answer that question years ago: ORIGINS. I was going to use Marthe Robert’s book, now old, Roman d’origines / Origines du roman. And notice how in her other work, she also tolerates … More Marthe Robert
I think of him as my contertulio but really he is one of my students. My interaction with him is somewhat different from interaction with other students, however, because usually the conversation is focused on what the student is doing, not on what I am. But with this student we end up talking more about … More On why, paradoxically, one MUST study Vallejo’s biography to study his poetry; also, further unraveling of my other book on fractured subjectivities
I woke up this morning terrified of the students and faculty at Vichy State University, that is to say of many of them and the atmosphere they create, and how I let the poison get into my bones. I woke up thinking that people say that it is all in how you handle your reactions … More Mardi maigre
“I wonder if the academic world is unusual in the extent to which the things for which people go into the field cease to be the things they most have to do.” That is Professor Susan in the comments on this post, which is the best post of all the posts on this matter. Her … More Are academic jobs stressful?
coldhearted scientist وداد 