31 January 2019: I am working with one of my best (ever) and favorite students on her Honors capstone project. After our last meeting, I sent her off with a suggestion that she look into a popular Victorian writer (Sarah Stickney Ellis) for some leads on Victorian views of raising daughters. It was not much a lead--just a hunch and a name, but off she went. So imagine how much of a kick it was to get this nerdy email from her (and you know I say "nerdy" with all the love in the world):
"I just had a research moment that's too good not to share. Since you pointed me in the direction of Sarah Stickney Ellis, I looked through all of her instructional books, and found that she had two that looked particularly helpful: The Daughters of England and The Mothers of England. Both are available through Google Books, and The Mothers of England in particular has an entire chapter devoted to 'the training of girls.' I got so excited when I saw it in the table of contents that I actually gasped."
Oh, and the subject heading: "Stickney Ellis Jackpot."
Sometimes I see myself in my students (especially the academically-ambitious ones) and it is kind of startling. Sometimes it's disconcerting. But sometimes--like this time--it is a gosh darn nerdy delight.
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
"Evening Things Out"
30 January 2019: At the end of our C&I meeting on Monday, one committee member told me that she had recently had surgery and her follow-up appointment was the same day as our next meeting. "I tried for another date and even got on a waiting list, but..." She was almost sheepish in her explanation. My response, "First: how are you?" Next: "Don't give it another thought." I mean, what does it say about her dedication and (perhaps) her fear of judgment that she was being so careful? Would all of her colleagues act the same way? (Answer: no. And many skip for much less important reasons.) I have another colleague who was back at work today--in a lot of pain--after emergency dental surgery she had on Monday. These women just plug along. Their dedication is inspiring, but it also throws into stark relief the efforts (or lack thereof) of other folks.
Thinking about some of these issues is what drew me to the Lucy Larcom project that I presented at SSAWW in November--specifically those connected to 21st-c. concerns about faculty workload/burnout. So this piece from insiderhighered.com jumped out at me today. For the first time, I think, this is a piece that offers possible solutions. Flaherty writes, "For 18 months, researchers helped put in place four interventions against workload imbalances: increasing faculty awareness of implicit bias, making data on work activity transparent, sharing organizational practices to encourage equity and providing individual professional development to help faculty members align their time and priorities." And it worked: "the researchers found that the interventions made a positive difference on the faculty experience of workload fairness across demographic groups."
Previous posts about the subject here, here, and here.
Thinking about some of these issues is what drew me to the Lucy Larcom project that I presented at SSAWW in November--specifically those connected to 21st-c. concerns about faculty workload/burnout. So this piece from insiderhighered.com jumped out at me today. For the first time, I think, this is a piece that offers possible solutions. Flaherty writes, "For 18 months, researchers helped put in place four interventions against workload imbalances: increasing faculty awareness of implicit bias, making data on work activity transparent, sharing organizational practices to encourage equity and providing individual professional development to help faculty members align their time and priorities." And it worked: "the researchers found that the interventions made a positive difference on the faculty experience of workload fairness across demographic groups."
Previous posts about the subject here, here, and here.
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Important questions from Walden
29 January 2019: "So is it woodchuck-eating or veganism?" --a student in my ENGL 312 class, talking about the "Higher Laws" chapter of Walden.
A terrific day to discuss the second half of Walden today, as a small bit of winter weather rolled in and a very smart class was full of good things to say.
A terrific day to discuss the second half of Walden today, as a small bit of winter weather rolled in and a very smart class was full of good things to say.
Monday, January 28, 2019
Good people...
28 January 2019: A long and busy day, but a good one. As I sit here thinking about it, I realize once again how lucky I am to work with such a great group of people at Shepherd. I didn't teach today, but was on campus all day, moving from meeting to meeting. Each stop along the way, someone was there doing their very best to make things work, to help our students, and to make Shepherd a better place. Special shout-out to our department's administrative assistant, Brenda, who was about to leave for the day when I stopped her with a request for Sigma Tau Delta. And, because she is so kind and wonderful, she jumped right on it. Amazing.
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Saturday, January 26, 2019
"Hold Out Your Hand"
26 January 2019:
Woke up this morning and listened to this song on repeat a few times. Great way to start off a good day. Got a lot of work done in the morning, watched the women's basketball game (they won!) with Hannah, took a walk with her, had dinner at Kazu, hung out with her some more, cleaned out my dresser (even tried that Marie Kondo t-shirt thing), and am now watching some TV with the cats. So yeah...a good day.
"Hold out your hand
Take hold of mine and then
Round and round we go..."
Woke up this morning and listened to this song on repeat a few times. Great way to start off a good day. Got a lot of work done in the morning, watched the women's basketball game (they won!) with Hannah, took a walk with her, had dinner at Kazu, hung out with her some more, cleaned out my dresser (even tried that Marie Kondo t-shirt thing), and am now watching some TV with the cats. So yeah...a good day.
"Hold out your hand
Take hold of mine and then
Round and round we go..."
Friday, January 25, 2019
More wisdom for Barrett Browning...
25 January 2019:
"For say a foolish thing but oft enough,
(And here’s the secret of a hundred creeds,—
Men get opinions as boys learn to spell,
By re-iteration chiefly) the same thing
Shall pass at last for absolutely wise,
And not with fools exclusively." --Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh
In class yesterday, I said this current moment--as sad, fraught, and frustrating as it is--is such great time to be teaching two upper-division classes on nineteenth-century literature. Each day, each class, reveals some "everything old is new again" insight. The selection of Aurora Leigh quoted above is no exception.
"For say a foolish thing but oft enough,
(And here’s the secret of a hundred creeds,—
Men get opinions as boys learn to spell,
By re-iteration chiefly) the same thing
Shall pass at last for absolutely wise,
And not with fools exclusively." --Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh
In class yesterday, I said this current moment--as sad, fraught, and frustrating as it is--is such great time to be teaching two upper-division classes on nineteenth-century literature. Each day, each class, reveals some "everything old is new again" insight. The selection of Aurora Leigh quoted above is no exception.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
On "Appreciation"
24 January 2019: "As instructors immersed in our fields, it’s easy to take appreciation for granted. We wouldn’t be doing what we do if we didn’t appreciate it on a marrow-deep level. I know I’ve been mystified as to why students aren’t as awed as I am by a subject I’ve presented."
Really enjoyed this piece from insidehighered.com today. I often say that ENGL 204 is my favorite class to teach. I think that's because I make appreciation one of the main goals. It works!
Really enjoyed this piece from insidehighered.com today. I often say that ENGL 204 is my favorite class to teach. I think that's because I make appreciation one of the main goals. It works!
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Lady Waldemar on love...
23 January 2019:
"But, after all, this love!... you eat of love,
And do as vile a thing as if you ate
Of garlic—which, whatever else you eat,
Tastes uniformly acrid, till your peach
Reminds you of your onion. Am I coarse?
Well, love’s coarse, nature’s coarse—ah, there’s the rub!" --Lady Waldemar, in Barrett Browning's Aurora Leigh
Lady Waldemar is a heck of a character who has quite a way with words, so naturally her description of being in love is strange (and gross?) yet also kind of perfect.
"But, after all, this love!... you eat of love,
And do as vile a thing as if you ate
Of garlic—which, whatever else you eat,
Tastes uniformly acrid, till your peach
Reminds you of your onion. Am I coarse?
Well, love’s coarse, nature’s coarse—ah, there’s the rub!" --Lady Waldemar, in Barrett Browning's Aurora Leigh
Lady Waldemar is a heck of a character who has quite a way with words, so naturally her description of being in love is strange (and gross?) yet also kind of perfect.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
"Civil Disobedience"
22 January 2019: "Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison." --Henry David Thoreau, "Civil Disobedience"
Great discussion of Thoreau's essay in my ENGL 312 class today. Students responded really well to his words, acknowledging their perfect clarity and how challenging the ideas are (would be) to implement.
Great discussion of Thoreau's essay in my ENGL 312 class today. Students responded really well to his words, acknowledging their perfect clarity and how challenging the ideas are (would be) to implement.
Monday, January 21, 2019
Like a time machine...
21 January 2019: Preparing for class tomorrow, I re-read a passage from Aurora Leigh that I haven't read in at least 16 years (maybe longer? can't remember if Aurora Leigh was on my comps reading list). But as I read it, every word crashed back into my head.
"Therefore, this same world
Uncomprehended by you, must remain
Uninfluenced by you.—Women as you are,
Mere women, personal and passionate,
You give us doating mothers, and chaste wives,
Sublime Madonnas, and enduring saints!
We get no Christ from you,—and verily
We shall not get a poet, in my mind." --Romney Leigh to Aurora, Book One
The passage's resonance for me all these years later isn't entirely surprising. Aurora Leigh was, after all, the subject of a Summer Scholar's project that I completed at Roanoke in 1998. I remember analyzing this passage and incorporating into my oral presentation--a presentation I practiced dozens of times. (My first public scholarly presentation...)
It's a heck of a speech from Romney: condescension cloaked in concern, self-assured as heck, and the worst way to build up to a proposal. Can't wait to see what the students have to say tomorrow...
"Therefore, this same world
Uncomprehended by you, must remain
Uninfluenced by you.—Women as you are,
Mere women, personal and passionate,
You give us doating mothers, and chaste wives,
Sublime Madonnas, and enduring saints!
We get no Christ from you,—and verily
We shall not get a poet, in my mind." --Romney Leigh to Aurora, Book One
The passage's resonance for me all these years later isn't entirely surprising. Aurora Leigh was, after all, the subject of a Summer Scholar's project that I completed at Roanoke in 1998. I remember analyzing this passage and incorporating into my oral presentation--a presentation I practiced dozens of times. (My first public scholarly presentation...)
It's a heck of a speech from Romney: condescension cloaked in concern, self-assured as heck, and the worst way to build up to a proposal. Can't wait to see what the students have to say tomorrow...
Sunday, January 20, 2019
On the Basis of Sex
20 January 2019: Finally got to see this film today. It's very "on the nose" and hits the beats you would expect it to hit, but it was also uplifting and charming as heck. And wow...still hard to believe how far we've come...and how far we've got to go.
School of Rock
19 January 2019:
[Catch-up post...]
Saw School of Rock yesterday with Jane. Since the weather was supposed to be bad in the Shepherdstown area last night, I spent the night at Jane's. Super fun day! Take that, winter-weather anxiety!
[Catch-up post...]
Saw School of Rock yesterday with Jane. Since the weather was supposed to be bad in the Shepherdstown area last night, I spent the night at Jane's. Super fun day! Take that, winter-weather anxiety!
Friday, January 18, 2019
Friday night pondering...
18 January 2019: This song, particularly this version, has been in my head all week. Fits my mood, I guess, for the week and for tonight.
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Mary Oliver...
17 January 2019: How strange that I posted about Mary Oliver yesterday and heard about her death today. So grateful for her life, her work, her gift to us all. Spend some time reading her work. You won't regret it.
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
"The Real Prayers Are Not the Words, But the Attention that Comes First"
16 January 2019: Looking for one Mary Oliver poem led me to this one, a poem that is new to me, but whose title alone is enough to capture my heart and mind.
It also reminded me of one of my favorite parts of Lady Bird: the idea that love and attention are the same.
It also reminded me of one of my favorite parts of Lady Bird: the idea that love and attention are the same.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Spring 2019 Semester: Go!
15 January 2019: The first day of classes went pretty well, I think. Because I am covering an administrative role for a colleague who is on sabbatical, I am only teaching two classes (which is so strange). I am also teaching just on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So in lots of way, the rhythm of this semester will be very different for me, someone who isn't great at changes to her way of doing things. But so far, so good.
Monday, January 14, 2019
"Surprised gratitude"
14 January 2019: I've been thinking about the concept of "surprised gratitude" since Hannah said it last weekend while we were doing some Professor of the Year interview preparation. I said to her, "How do I say to these people some version of 'I can't believe I get paid to do this' without actually saying that?" I wanted to express how profoundly grateful I am for my career--and almost mystified by the degree to which it delights me at times. "It's kind of like...surprised gratitude," Hannah suggested. So there it is.
Today, I used that phrase and told that story during my interview in Charleston, which I think went well. I mean, after all, I got to talk about how much I love my job, my students, my colleagues, and my university. I am good at doing that, I think. Whatever happens in April, when the winner is announced, I feel like I did my best and I am glad for the experience which in itself, reinforced that idea of surprised gratitude.
All day today, especially on the drive home, I was listing the moments--just today--that made me feel gratitude even more. Here are a few:
Today, I used that phrase and told that story during my interview in Charleston, which I think went well. I mean, after all, I got to talk about how much I love my job, my students, my colleagues, and my university. I am good at doing that, I think. Whatever happens in April, when the winner is announced, I feel like I did my best and I am glad for the experience which in itself, reinforced that idea of surprised gratitude.
All day today, especially on the drive home, I was listing the moments--just today--that made me feel gratitude even more. Here are a few:
- The "you can do it" text messages that I received today from friends, former students, and colleagues.
- The colleague who found someone (a Shepherd student who has taken a class with me) to shovel about ten inches of snow from my driveway so that I wouldn't have to do it when I got home in the freezing darkness. She actually had TWO eager volunteers when she called around. That's how great our students are. (And yes, I was paying, but still!)
- The student himself, a gosh-darn delight of a young man, who did a terrific job and whose arm I will probably have to twist a bit to take the money I am paying him for doing it.
- Wesley, Bing, and Veronica being just fine when I got back.
- The realization that a new semester opens for me tomorrow. Here we go!
Sunday, January 13, 2019
"stirred up and shaken..."
13 January 2019: "It is good for me to get stirred up and shaken once in a while." --Lucy Larcom, writing to John Greenleaf Whittier about her reaction to Barrett Browning's Aurora Leigh
Being more or less stuck in a hotel room in Charleston for the second straight day has led to a burst of productivity. It isn't snowing here, but it is really raining (a cold rain, too) and I am reluctant to do much exploring. So today I've moved between the hotel room, the hotel lobby, and restaurants, reading and getting work done.
One of my tasks led to me the Larcom quotation above. Every once in a while, she'll drop a soundbite like this (here's another one) and I laugh and feel like we might be kindred spirits. I've even been thinking a lot about Aurora Leigh, which I am teaching for the first time this semester. Weird!
Being more or less stuck in a hotel room in Charleston for the second straight day has led to a burst of productivity. It isn't snowing here, but it is really raining (a cold rain, too) and I am reluctant to do much exploring. So today I've moved between the hotel room, the hotel lobby, and restaurants, reading and getting work done.
One of my tasks led to me the Larcom quotation above. Every once in a while, she'll drop a soundbite like this (here's another one) and I laugh and feel like we might be kindred spirits. I've even been thinking a lot about Aurora Leigh, which I am teaching for the first time this semester. Weird!
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Roma
12 January 2019: So the original plan was for me to drive to Charleston, WV tomorrow (Sunday) for my interview for West Virginia Professor of the Year on Monday. Then came (of course!) news of an impending winter storm. So here I am in Charleston a day early, getting out of the Eastern Panhandle ahead of the storm. What to do alone in a place you don't know when it's cold and rainy outside (though thankfully not snowing)? Hunker down in the hotel room, reading and watching Netflix, which leads me to Roma.
So glad I got to watch this film. This piece from Slate puts a lot of what I loved about it into words. This piece about the level of detail is great, too.
So glad I got to watch this film. This piece from Slate puts a lot of what I loved about it into words. This piece about the level of detail is great, too.
Friday, January 11, 2019
If Beale Street Could Talk
11 January 2019: "Remember, love is what brought you here. And if you’ve trusted love this far, don’t panic now. Trust it all the way." --Sharon to Tish, If Beale Street Could Talk
What a beautiful movie this is! See it, see it, see it.
Barry Jenkins...every image makes you smile or sigh or cry. (Here's my very brief Moonlight post from just under two years ago.)
What a beautiful movie this is! See it, see it, see it.
Barry Jenkins...every image makes you smile or sigh or cry. (Here's my very brief Moonlight post from just under two years ago.)
Thursday, January 10, 2019
"New York Girl"
10 January 2019: “…a texture of youth, when the world bristled with options.” --John Updike, "New York Girl"
Listened to this story on a long, chilly walk today. This version is also worth listening to for the great conversation Tessa Hadley and Deborah Treisman have after Hadley reads it.
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
"Caliban upon Setebos"
9 January 2019:
"'...Hath spied an icy fish
That longed to 'scape the rock-stream where she lived,
And thaw herself within the lukewarm brine
O' the lazy sea her stream thrusts far amid,
A crystal spike 'twixt two warm walls of wave;
Only, she ever sickened, found repulse
At the other kind of water, not her life,
(Green-dense and dim-delicious, bred o' the sun)
Flounced back from bliss she was not born to breathe,
And in her old bounds buried her despair,
Hating and loving warmth alike: so He." --Robert Browning, "Caliban upon Setebos"
Spent some time with this poem today, in anticipation of teaching it in a few weeks. The image above, which comes fairly early in the poem, really stuck out to me, illustrating that Caliban, though in so many ways limited and beastly, has a way with words.
"'...Hath spied an icy fish
That longed to 'scape the rock-stream where she lived,
And thaw herself within the lukewarm brine
O' the lazy sea her stream thrusts far amid,
A crystal spike 'twixt two warm walls of wave;
Only, she ever sickened, found repulse
At the other kind of water, not her life,
(Green-dense and dim-delicious, bred o' the sun)
Flounced back from bliss she was not born to breathe,
And in her old bounds buried her despair,
Hating and loving warmth alike: so He." --Robert Browning, "Caliban upon Setebos"
Spent some time with this poem today, in anticipation of teaching it in a few weeks. The image above, which comes fairly early in the poem, really stuck out to me, illustrating that Caliban, though in so many ways limited and beastly, has a way with words.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Monday, January 7, 2019
Sunday, January 6, 2019
The Big Green Tent
6 January 2018: "But something important had transpired, and this sudden magnetic linkage between people can only happen in youth. The hook pierces the very heart, and the lines connecting us in childhood friendship can never be severed." --Ludmila Ulitskaya, The Big Green Tent
Started this book yesterday and really enjoying it.
Started this book yesterday and really enjoying it.
Saturday, January 5, 2019
The Upside of Unrequited
5 January 2019: Finished this lovely book last night, part of my attempt to do more "fun" reading this year. The Upside of Unrequited was included on one of my ENGL 307 student's annotated bibliographies and was one of her very favorite titles from that collection. Since she's a terrific student, I decided to give it a try. I am glad I did. It's a charming book with romance, really smart insights on siblings, and growing up. I found myself marking passages where this 17 year-old narrator reminded me of myself...not sure what to do with that!
Friday, January 4, 2019
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Mary, Queen of Scots
3 January 2019: I will admit to not being too excited about seeing Mary, Queen of Scots, which has gotten solid, if not glowing reviews. But I like Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie quite a bit (loved both Lady Bird and I, Tonya last year!) so, when Amy and I were talking about a movie to see today, we went with this one.
And it was actually pretty good, especially the acting. (The history? No surprises: it's simplified in lots of places and just imagined in others, but that's basically expected, right?)
Long review short: it's an intriguing, well-acted, and visually interesting movie about two complicated women with (some) (limited/tenuous) power forced to make difficult decisions. They make very different decisions and neither gets exactly what she wants. That alone makes it worth seeing.
And it was actually pretty good, especially the acting. (The history? No surprises: it's simplified in lots of places and just imagined in others, but that's basically expected, right?)
Long review short: it's an intriguing, well-acted, and visually interesting movie about two complicated women with (some) (limited/tenuous) power forced to make difficult decisions. They make very different decisions and neither gets exactly what she wants. That alone makes it worth seeing.
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Jane Days=Good Days
2 January 2019:
Ingredients for a good day:
Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday!
Ingredients for a good day:
- A visit from Jane
- Christmas gift exchanging (and we both did a good job!)
- Lunch at Domestic
- A Shepherd Women's Basketball game (that they won)
Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday!
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
2019: Off we go...
1 January 2019: New Year's Day tends to depress me and just make me feel uneasy. I know it has to do with the triple whammy of 1) the end of the holiday season, 2) general anxiety and big feelings about progress or lack thereof in my life that always accompanies calendar changes, and 3) a realization winter really setting in. (I should note that we are in a warm spell here, but that will change. And it's been dark and rainy lately, so that doesn't help.)
So while New Year's Eve was fun (and I am so grateful for that), today is just kind of tough. I've kept busy and got a lot done, but yeah...it's tough.
But I am trying to put a focus on some positive stuff: getting ready for the semester as much as I can (don't put off until tomorrow...), cleaning/sorting/getting rid of clutter, and even thinking about a resolution or two.
There are a couple of resolutions I've made in the past four years or so that have really changed my life, or at least my outlook on it, in good ways. One was getting those 10,000 steps in every day I could. My goal each year is something like "at least 90% of the days that it is practical" (which lets me off the hook for days with pouring rain, ice, snow, illness, or just a jam-packed schedule). I kind of crush that 90% goal every year. And walking, as I know I've written about before, has become one of my favorite things. I think, I stretch, I listen to podcasts, I see interesting things. So that resolution has been terrific.
The second resolution that stuck was deciding to post a blog entry every day. I pulled that off in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Again, the simple routine--and this year it was just "post something"--gives me a goal and structure and forces reflection (in a good way). So I will keep that up, too.
As for a new goal, as strange as it might seem for an English professor to say this, I want to read more. And I mean "for fun." I read all the time--and I love that I get to do that--but reading a book just and only for fun has slipped out of my life. So I want to get that back. I won't post a number here, but I've got one in mind.
This is a long and rambling post, I know. But I think it all connects. Plans, strategies, structures, lists, and those kinds of things help me push through darkness and anxiety. So here's to 2019, I guess. Let's see how it goes.
So while New Year's Eve was fun (and I am so grateful for that), today is just kind of tough. I've kept busy and got a lot done, but yeah...it's tough.
But I am trying to put a focus on some positive stuff: getting ready for the semester as much as I can (don't put off until tomorrow...), cleaning/sorting/getting rid of clutter, and even thinking about a resolution or two.
There are a couple of resolutions I've made in the past four years or so that have really changed my life, or at least my outlook on it, in good ways. One was getting those 10,000 steps in every day I could. My goal each year is something like "at least 90% of the days that it is practical" (which lets me off the hook for days with pouring rain, ice, snow, illness, or just a jam-packed schedule). I kind of crush that 90% goal every year. And walking, as I know I've written about before, has become one of my favorite things. I think, I stretch, I listen to podcasts, I see interesting things. So that resolution has been terrific.
The second resolution that stuck was deciding to post a blog entry every day. I pulled that off in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Again, the simple routine--and this year it was just "post something"--gives me a goal and structure and forces reflection (in a good way). So I will keep that up, too.
As for a new goal, as strange as it might seem for an English professor to say this, I want to read more. And I mean "for fun." I read all the time--and I love that I get to do that--but reading a book just and only for fun has slipped out of my life. So I want to get that back. I won't post a number here, but I've got one in mind.
This is a long and rambling post, I know. But I think it all connects. Plans, strategies, structures, lists, and those kinds of things help me push through darkness and anxiety. So here's to 2019, I guess. Let's see how it goes.
New Year's Eve 2018
31 December 2018:
[Catch-up post...]
Rang in the New Year with this gang, the same gang I rang in 2018 with. We called it "Gentle New Year's Eve"--just good people playing games, eating some good food, and having fun. It was great.
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