And the idiocy continues....
After parking in the garage next to my office building yesterday morning, I started to open my door and get out, only to find myself being blocked in by an undergraduate driving a way-too-big pickup truck. These vehicles are quite common in College Town, and the parking mayhem they cause is familiar to all in the area. Most of the time, I'm thin enough to not have too much difficulty scaling down the side of my vehicle out of the parking space. These days, it's a different story.
After Redneck Boy pulls in, I try to get of the vehicle once more. I discover that I can either get my body out (barely) without my bags, or can sling my bags out into the parking lot, but the whole package cannot go together. I'd. Had. Enough. Despite seeing me struggle to even crack the door open enough to get out, Redneck Boy sits in his truck with a blank stare, as if I should simply beam myself out of the way. Now, I was pissed!
I slid up to the passenger-side window and knocked on it. Redneck Boy's passenger rolled down the window, and I, in my nicest but most matter-of-fact-voice explained,
"Yeah, I'm more than 6 months pregnant and I can't get out of this parking space. This isn't cool, so do you think you could back your rig up and let me get out with my things before you park?"
Seemingly shocked by my brazen confrontation and feeling like an ass for trapping a pregnant woman in her own damn vehicle, he stuttered that he was planning on "straightnin' her out anyway." Really? Guess what, it's not a matter of being crooked jack-ass! It's a matter of you driving an oversized penis replacement on four wheels!! He realized this after his first attempt at "straightnin' her out," which clearly left no more room than before. He finally just backed up and waiting for me to get out with my bags.
Truly, I've never been the kind of woman who turns into a raging bitch simply as a result of pregnancy. But, seriously, if shit like this continues to happen, I could easily become that person.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Dear Miss S------
Dear Miss S-------,
I realize you probably meant no ill-will by your remark in the departmental mail room this morning. After all, you are a young graduate student without children, whom, I will presume, has never been pregnant. In this case, you might be considered guilty of mere insensitivity rather than outright ignorance and rudeness. However, I feel obligated to point out that it is generally considered, how shall I put this, really fucking stupid, to remark to a pregnant woman, "Gee, you seem to get bigger every day, every time I see you!" This is especially the case if the pregnant woman happens to be a colleague who works in the same field as you and could someday be reviewing your work. Comments like this tend to make a pregnant woman, or at least this pregnant woman, want to cause bodily harm to the clueless sap that had the audacity to make any comment about her weight.
I hope that you think back on your comment and quickly feel like an ass, as you should. For now, I will chalk up your remark as the result of someone who is quite possibly intelligent, but lacks any notion of common sense.
Sincerely,
Perfectly-Proportioned, Pregnant, AcadeMama
I realize you probably meant no ill-will by your remark in the departmental mail room this morning. After all, you are a young graduate student without children, whom, I will presume, has never been pregnant. In this case, you might be considered guilty of mere insensitivity rather than outright ignorance and rudeness. However, I feel obligated to point out that it is generally considered, how shall I put this, really fucking stupid, to remark to a pregnant woman, "Gee, you seem to get bigger every day, every time I see you!" This is especially the case if the pregnant woman happens to be a colleague who works in the same field as you and could someday be reviewing your work. Comments like this tend to make a pregnant woman, or at least this pregnant woman, want to cause bodily harm to the clueless sap that had the audacity to make any comment about her weight.
I hope that you think back on your comment and quickly feel like an ass, as you should. For now, I will chalk up your remark as the result of someone who is quite possibly intelligent, but lacks any notion of common sense.
Sincerely,
Perfectly-Proportioned, Pregnant, AcadeMama
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
It's Done (kinda)
Last Friday, I submitted a draft of my final dissertation chapter (chronologically, my first chapter) to my advisor. This means that I now have a rough draft of my entire dissertation (excluding a conclusion). On one hand, I still can't quite believe I did it. I wrote four chapters and an introduction, and this is a dissertation draft. Holy cow...
On the other hand, now I must turn to revision. I've already revised one of my chapters and received feedback on it from my advisor, so there are only minor changes to make to it. That leaves three chapters to be revised, some needing more extensive revisions than others (I hope). For example, I'm pretty sure chapter one, which is mainly a descriptive/survey chapter couldn't be so bad as to require major revisions. I mean, how badly can you screw that kind of chapter up?
Turning to my second chapter yesterday, I could already see where I'd gone wrong in certain sections; where I need to qualify my claims; where I need to clarify my argument; and where I need to cut/add deveopment. This is good, I suppose. I have a very good sense of what needs to be done to improve the chapter. The bad things is that I don't have a good way of prioritizing the revisions that are needed. Should I first explain why I'm using city comedies? Or, should I first deal with revisions to the biographical info about the playwright? Some might say that it really doesn't matter as long as it gets done, but that's not exactly the case. I think there are some revisions that you absolutely can't do without for the defense, and some revisions that can be tackled later, when revising it into a book manuscript. Sometimes the difference between the two is clear, other times not so much.
Anywho, I suppose there is a small reason to celebrate: Once I started writing, I wrote an entire draft of my dissertation in a year and a half. How long will the revisions take? Only time will tell.
On the other hand, now I must turn to revision. I've already revised one of my chapters and received feedback on it from my advisor, so there are only minor changes to make to it. That leaves three chapters to be revised, some needing more extensive revisions than others (I hope). For example, I'm pretty sure chapter one, which is mainly a descriptive/survey chapter couldn't be so bad as to require major revisions. I mean, how badly can you screw that kind of chapter up?
Turning to my second chapter yesterday, I could already see where I'd gone wrong in certain sections; where I need to qualify my claims; where I need to clarify my argument; and where I need to cut/add deveopment. This is good, I suppose. I have a very good sense of what needs to be done to improve the chapter. The bad things is that I don't have a good way of prioritizing the revisions that are needed. Should I first explain why I'm using city comedies? Or, should I first deal with revisions to the biographical info about the playwright? Some might say that it really doesn't matter as long as it gets done, but that's not exactly the case. I think there are some revisions that you absolutely can't do without for the defense, and some revisions that can be tackled later, when revising it into a book manuscript. Sometimes the difference between the two is clear, other times not so much.
Anywho, I suppose there is a small reason to celebrate: Once I started writing, I wrote an entire draft of my dissertation in a year and a half. How long will the revisions take? Only time will tell.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Still in the Running
I just heard from another committee member, who also happens to be our department's Placement Coordinator. She was letting me know she'd just finished having a "very pleasant and happy conversation" with the head of the search committee my advisor spoke with yesterday. This is good...I think. Like with yesterday's news, I get to be really happy about this for today. And then tomorrow, it's back to work. It may all ultimately come to nothing, so I'm not getting my hopes up. Luckily, I still have so much work to do that I'm to busy to sit around and be nervous and excited. I will, however, squeeze in some waiting by the phone and e-mail!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Job Search Etiquette Question
Last week, I got an e-mail from the chair of a search committee regarding a job I'd applied for in late November. The position was in my field, and the applications were to be reviewed immediately until the position was field. No clear indication of whether or not MLA interviews would be part of the process.
The e-mail I got last week explained that they had bypassed MLA and were now beginning the selection process, and they wanted to know if I was still available and interested in the job.
Uhhh, yeah.
So, time passes on, and today I learn from my advisor that they called her to follow up on her recommendation letter. Good news, of course, but I'm not going crazy or anything. My question is: Can I ask my advisor anything about the phone call? Obviously, I'm not asking for a play-by-play. I'm just curious if the search committee had any particular concern(s), or if this was just a run-of-the-mill follow up in the "tell us more about this person" kind of way.
Any traditional rules or etiquette for this situation?
The e-mail I got last week explained that they had bypassed MLA and were now beginning the selection process, and they wanted to know if I was still available and interested in the job.
Uhhh, yeah.
So, time passes on, and today I learn from my advisor that they called her to follow up on her recommendation letter. Good news, of course, but I'm not going crazy or anything. My question is: Can I ask my advisor anything about the phone call? Obviously, I'm not asking for a play-by-play. I'm just curious if the search committee had any particular concern(s), or if this was just a run-of-the-mill follow up in the "tell us more about this person" kind of way.
Any traditional rules or etiquette for this situation?
Monday, January 26, 2009
Shopping Bounties and The Home Stretch
A couple friends and I shared a girls shopping trip in Nearby Giant Town this weekend, and I made out like a bandit on maternity clothes! Why would I need maternity clothes if this is my third child, you ask? Well, because my attic appears to eat maternity clothes by the box-load. Poof, a big box of maternity clothes disappeared. We hit one particularly uppity maternity boutique that I knew featured some very expensive clothes that I would never be able to afford. My plan, however, was to see if I could score any goods on the sale rack, where items were more in my budget. And score I did! I got a lovely Japanese Weekend summer dress for $45 (regularly priced at $119) and a pair of off-white, ellyB corduroy dress pants that were not only long enough (I'm 6'2" remember), but on sale for $45 (regularly priced at $90)! These pants are truly comfortable and somehow manage to make my arse look decent despite being 6 months pregnant--totally worth the money.
After stocking my closet with my new goods, I realized there will be more things we need to get before the baby comes. Thinking about this also made me realize that we only have 3 months left. Given how fast this pregnancy has gone by, 3 months doesn't seem like a lot of time. I still have to get Eliza's closet reorganized to accommodate sharing it with her new sister, and this is not a small task in itself. I also need to get some sort of bassinet, because the Pack & Play we used when Eliza was a newborn won't fit next to the bed anymore. I've never used a sling before, but I'd like to use one with this baby, so I'll have to get at least one of those. I know it doesn't seem like a lot is still needed, but I've done this enough times to know how little things come up in the moment and at the last minute, and the little things are enough to drive you crazy.
I think I may just budget in the time to take Spring Break week off from dissertation work so I can have the entire week to concentrate on getting everything in the house baby ready. Once that's done, I'll be more relaxed, which will help with concentrating on the dissertation. I've come up with a new timeline which will ensure that each chapter gets at least some revision before May 5th. Once that happens, I'll be able to send off a complete draft to my committee members to get feedback on what else they'd like to see. Knowing what else they want out of each chapter will make it much easier for me to develop a work plan for the summer while I stay home with the baby. I've never tried to care for a newborn and revise a dissertation at the same time, so I don't know how this is going to work. I'm reminding myself that a great deal of this depends on what kind of baby I have: a sleepy baby who easily falls into some sort of schedule or rhythm, a baby who likes to change up her schedule every day, or something in between??
But, I look at the ticker on the side of my blog, and I can't believe how fast the time has gone by, or how much work I still have to do before this baby comes. Speaking of work.... :)
After stocking my closet with my new goods, I realized there will be more things we need to get before the baby comes. Thinking about this also made me realize that we only have 3 months left. Given how fast this pregnancy has gone by, 3 months doesn't seem like a lot of time. I still have to get Eliza's closet reorganized to accommodate sharing it with her new sister, and this is not a small task in itself. I also need to get some sort of bassinet, because the Pack & Play we used when Eliza was a newborn won't fit next to the bed anymore. I've never used a sling before, but I'd like to use one with this baby, so I'll have to get at least one of those. I know it doesn't seem like a lot is still needed, but I've done this enough times to know how little things come up in the moment and at the last minute, and the little things are enough to drive you crazy.
I think I may just budget in the time to take Spring Break week off from dissertation work so I can have the entire week to concentrate on getting everything in the house baby ready. Once that's done, I'll be more relaxed, which will help with concentrating on the dissertation. I've come up with a new timeline which will ensure that each chapter gets at least some revision before May 5th. Once that happens, I'll be able to send off a complete draft to my committee members to get feedback on what else they'd like to see. Knowing what else they want out of each chapter will make it much easier for me to develop a work plan for the summer while I stay home with the baby. I've never tried to care for a newborn and revise a dissertation at the same time, so I don't know how this is going to work. I'm reminding myself that a great deal of this depends on what kind of baby I have: a sleepy baby who easily falls into some sort of schedule or rhythm, a baby who likes to change up her schedule every day, or something in between??
But, I look at the ticker on the side of my blog, and I can't believe how fast the time has gone by, or how much work I still have to do before this baby comes. Speaking of work.... :)
Thursday, January 22, 2009
What Do Boys Have Against Early Modern Women Writers?
Or, How Do We Get More Male Students Interested in Women Writers?
In my mock interview, one of the mock search committee members posed the following question:
"I also work with early modern women, and I've found over the years that, to some extent, you end up preaching to the choir. You present conference papers to an audience of women. You teach senior seminars that are, by and large, made up of female students. How do you handle this?"
Yeah, uh...I wasn't expecting that question. Nonetheless, I provided an honest answer by explaining that the former hadn't been my experience thus far, and that I'd have to think more about it in terms of teaching, when the time comes.
Well, the time has come.
I'm team-teaching a senior seminar, "Aphra Behn & The Rise of Consumer Literature", this semester, and the first day of class revealed an entire room of young ladies and one gentleman. Yep, out of 18 students, there's only one guy. Obviously this brought to mind the question I'd been asked, and now I'm thinking about several related questions.
First, is this [all/predominently female students] a thing I have any control of to begin with? That is, the person asking the question seemed to presume that the teacher has some direct agency in preventing this situation, and I'm not sure if that's actually the case.
Second, if I do have some ability to change the situation, what can I do?
Third, why does it matter anyway? Why the urge to see a more gender-balanced classroom? I certainly wouldn't want to start pulling in uninterested male students simply for the purpose of having an equal numbers of boys and girls in the room. I believe the implicit question had more to do with the issue of male scholars (or scholars-to-be) being uninterested in women writers than the issue of gender equity in the classroom.
I don't know that I have any answers at this point, but I suspect this won't be the last time I'm confronted with the issue. Ultimately, I don't feel like it's my job to justify or market my subfield to gain a specific audience. Clearly, I want classes I teach to make, and designing appealing (nay, sexy) course titles always helps to that effect. But, I can't *make* male English majors (or any other group of students) be interested in the things I'm teaching. Again, I have no brilliant conclusions to make, but the question still lingers for some reason...
In my mock interview, one of the mock search committee members posed the following question:
"I also work with early modern women, and I've found over the years that, to some extent, you end up preaching to the choir. You present conference papers to an audience of women. You teach senior seminars that are, by and large, made up of female students. How do you handle this?"
Yeah, uh...I wasn't expecting that question. Nonetheless, I provided an honest answer by explaining that the former hadn't been my experience thus far, and that I'd have to think more about it in terms of teaching, when the time comes.
Well, the time has come.
I'm team-teaching a senior seminar, "Aphra Behn & The Rise of Consumer Literature", this semester, and the first day of class revealed an entire room of young ladies and one gentleman. Yep, out of 18 students, there's only one guy. Obviously this brought to mind the question I'd been asked, and now I'm thinking about several related questions.
First, is this [all/predominently female students] a thing I have any control of to begin with? That is, the person asking the question seemed to presume that the teacher has some direct agency in preventing this situation, and I'm not sure if that's actually the case.
Second, if I do have some ability to change the situation, what can I do?
Third, why does it matter anyway? Why the urge to see a more gender-balanced classroom? I certainly wouldn't want to start pulling in uninterested male students simply for the purpose of having an equal numbers of boys and girls in the room. I believe the implicit question had more to do with the issue of male scholars (or scholars-to-be) being uninterested in women writers than the issue of gender equity in the classroom.
I don't know that I have any answers at this point, but I suspect this won't be the last time I'm confronted with the issue. Ultimately, I don't feel like it's my job to justify or market my subfield to gain a specific audience. Clearly, I want classes I teach to make, and designing appealing (nay, sexy) course titles always helps to that effect. But, I can't *make* male English majors (or any other group of students) be interested in the things I'm teaching. Again, I have no brilliant conclusions to make, but the question still lingers for some reason...
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