That Job Market: Suggestions for Interviewees

It is October 15, the traditional opening day of the job search season. I have a few suggestions for people going on campus visits — suggestions others may not have covered yet.
1. Good facilities are rare. Take note of the schools that have these.
2. Think of yourself as a colleague, not as an aspirant or [...]

Reading for Pleasure Wednesday: Mercè Rodoreda

Any time is a good time to read Mercè Rodoreda. The Nation’s review article on her is worth reading, too. I have never really studied Rodoreda’s life and I have not read all of her books. Having read the review, however, I am re-fascinated. At one point the writer says:
It’s curious that Rodoreda is so [...]

Research Hours

Tnis is one of those old-old posts.
ON CERTAIN FALSITIES
Perhaps it is for no reason related to me that people have always gone on at me how to be and work. So this is another piece of my counterargument against those who threw so much unnecessary time management advice at me — at me, a veritable [...]

Gabo

It appears that the eternal foodstuffs of artistic achievement are “discipline, fortitude, ambition and self-belief.” These were not allowed in Re/Education, and that explains my problems with it.
It has been an entire weekend of rather boring work, frustrating in part because all of it must be done rather superficially, uninterestingly. I was tired [...]

The Triple Day

This is just one of Historiann’s interesting posts on women and academia.
When I was in elementary school the Emeritus Professor’s long and intense work day included preparing manuscripts in longhand to be typed by the departmental secretary. My mother’s day included preparing social events for the Emeritus Professor’s department, and making diplomatic telephone calls after [...]

On Getting By

With some effort — not inordinate effort, mind you, but some — I have put together a two year long speaker series for my other department. That is eight outside speakers a year, four per semester, for two years, for a program that has no budget of its own.
I have done this for the sake [...]

The Textbook Industrial Complex, or, The Baroque Era

In my foreign language class we have a thick textbook, a workbook, a lab manual, three websites, CDs, DVDs, PowerPoint slides, and videos. It is not yet clear to me how well these materials fit together or to what extent they repeat each other. It may take me more than this semester to learn.
I have [...]

On Not Following Recommendations

The best day so far in Madrid was Wednesday, when I did not do anything recommended (e.g. stand in line to get into the Prado).
8-11 Make coffee, put laundry on, study.
11-12 Hang up laundry and dress.
12 Have eyelashes dyed black (at Jean Louis David, for 20 euros).
12:30 Deal with blogs and e-mail, buy vegetables and [...]

Dat Blackguard

My friend and I discussed our problems with the Blackguard. I fear the Blackguard, if unchecked, can become our infernal wind. I do not want to feed that. Rather than discuss him further I am posting brief notes on the ideas we developed here.
Problems we can solve as individuals: dealing with someone who wants to [...]

Lime

If I put lime on anything I am instantly transported to Latin America, where Reeducation does not reach me. I think I shall put lime on everything, every day, in addition to expanding myself through yoga.
I have said it before but it is ever clearer to me how Reeducation insisted on the establishment of a [...]