That was the title of a famous essay by George Steiner on a rather different topic but I am talking about things in school that are hard in terms of work, grades, publishing, and so on. When I was an undergraduate, the scientists thought the humanities were “easy” for two reasons, one real and one … More On Difficulty
♦ I just got e-mail from one of our newer instructors. Ze wants to copy 2 CDs for me and make 3 other CDs, and so requests 5 CDs and will pay me for them. I said, buy them yourself or ask the department to buy them. ♦ I have perfect hair now and it … More À quoi, et qui ça sert?
I went to the office at 6 PM and stayed there for 8 hours, writing furiously. Now I have a complete draft of my manuscript. Against custom I was fueled by two Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, which do stick to your ribs, I will tell you; I will remember this and take some of those … More En tanto que de rosa y azucena
Or perhaps, if you truly believe suffering is a moral value, it is not that you are made of finer but rather of flimsier stuff. I owe calls, cards and letters but I cannot speak to anyone due to my state of fatigue and grief, yet I still have interesting adventures, as you will see. … More Le travail du weekend
So yes, an instructor could have answered the question the student asked well enough but I was able to see from the question that the asker was potential graduate or professional school material and to say so, and that is the difference. I am teaching all these extra lower division courses and I am very … More Why You Should Have a PhD
…is if you do it by yourself. Picky, picky, boring, boring, it can be creative but really does need crowdsourcing to a well informed and active crowd. Also: it is enough to make you want to…do scholarly work. Axé.
Whom does it benefit to say writing is hard? asks Dame Eleanor Hull. I am not sure but I can hazard that it mystifies writing and discourages people from trying. I, for my part, caught writing difficulty from Reeducation, according to which writing ease was a sign of poor health. Not wishing to suffer the … More A Writing Match
The other practical reason I oppose going on about how work is suffering is that it makes for such an unprofessional atmosphere. Graduate students do it, secretaries do it, and instructors do it. Pink collars do it and ladies do it. “Oh, it is so hard.” “We aren’t getting any younger.” “How are you today, … More Et pour en finir…
I keep writing posts on why I dislike teaching foreign languages and then eliminating them, since one of my chairs, my dean and several other such people know where this blog is. However, here is one more issue: the kindergarten aspect of it. Portuguese Composition is a senior level course with graduate students in it … More Kindergarten
5:58 AM and I am still waiting for rosy-fingered Eos to step across the fields. Despite chairing a committee whose charge is to prove to legislators and the public at large that we are working, my personal concern is not that at all since there is no room for doubt. I am informed that our … More Displaced
coldhearted scientist وداد 