Some quick--and awesome--TV links...
1) Remember this post about the Joss Whedon-directed episode of Glee? Well, it only get's sweeter--Neil Patrick Harris (my love for him only grows stronger every day) might be guest-starring in that episode. It's like the people behind Glee are putting together an episode just for me! (Because the world works that way, right?)
2) Look, anyone who knows me knows that I am counting down the days until Lost's final season premieres. I am, I'll admit, a bit obsessed. But even I can appreciate how very funny this bit from The Onion is: "Final Season of 'Lost' Promises to Make Fans More Annoying Than Ever. "
3) And then there's this gem I just saw on Gawker: an adorable Italian family from Long Island recreates Lost in their living room (and basement). I want to hang out with this family.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
One more quick link...
Check out this Greensboro News & Record story about the happy ending for my grad-school friend, John, and his family, who brought their baby son home from Ethiopia earlier this week. (Non-Greensboro friends: You might remember John, Sarah, and Emma from this post.)
"Then too there is this"
Perfect poem for a winter evening and my life at the moment...
J. Allyn Rosser
joy in the day's being done, however
clumsily, and in the ticked-off lists,
the packages nestling together,
no one home waiting for dinner, for
you, no one impatient for your touch
or kind words to salve what nightly
rises like heartburn, the ghost-lump feeling
that one is really as alone as one had feared.
One isn't, not really. Not really. Joy
to see over the strip mall darkening
right on schedule a neon-proof pink
sunset flaring like the roof of a cat's mouth,
cleanly ribbed, the clouds laddering up
and lit as if by a match struck somewhere
in the throat much deeper down.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
More links...
...these are decidedly academic in theme.
First, I suppose I am better late than never on posting a link to Brian Croxall's delivered-in-absentia MLA talk. (More smart analysis here.) I was at MLA this year, as we are hiring for two positions in our department, but I have yet to attend a single conference session (four MLAs, zeros sessions). Each time it was because I simply didn't have the time--the first three MLAs, I was interviewing as a candidate; this time, I was on the other side of the table.
Anyway, one of my colleagues and I talked about heading down to the Convention Center to see how busy the Job Center was and to get a general feel for this year's vibe, but we never got around to it. There were lots of good reasons: we just didn't have the time/energy after 8 hours of interviewing, it was bitterly cold and windy outside, and my colleague had a nasty cold. But I think that a big reason (unspoken by me) was that we didn't want to deal with what was sure to be a depressing scene. There were, after all, about 40% fewer jobs listed this year than last year. And last year's numbers were something like 30% less than the year before. It's nasty out there and I'm so grateful to have a job. And I couldn't handle seeing all those desparate folks who aren't as lucky as I am. Heck, I think I still have job-search PTSD.
Anyway, all of this is a roundabout way of saying, good for Brian Croxall for reminding people of how expensive, frustrating, awful, and often futile the job search can be.
Second link: from insidehighered.com, a report from a Rhet/Comp session at MLA. This session sounds like it was lame...lots of finger-pointing and pontificating about what's wrong with rhet/comp. But if you are interested, check out the comments at the end of the column. Some are depressing because of their own pontificating, but others (from Kathleen Yancy, for instance, or from Joe Essid, who I worked with the one year I was at Richmond) are quite good and give some hope.
Third link, also from insidehighered.com: this one made me laugh--a column about a panel of historian parents and their historian offspring at the annual American Historical Association meeting. Choice quotation? "[I]t turns out that the way you rebel against an American historian parent is to become a medievalist." Ha. Beyond the laughs, though, are smart observations about how the field (and academia) has changed over the years. Good stuff.
One last link, which is only going to be funny to English folks...MLA 2010.
First, I suppose I am better late than never on posting a link to Brian Croxall's delivered-in-absentia MLA talk. (More smart analysis here.) I was at MLA this year, as we are hiring for two positions in our department, but I have yet to attend a single conference session (four MLAs, zeros sessions). Each time it was because I simply didn't have the time--the first three MLAs, I was interviewing as a candidate; this time, I was on the other side of the table.
Anyway, one of my colleagues and I talked about heading down to the Convention Center to see how busy the Job Center was and to get a general feel for this year's vibe, but we never got around to it. There were lots of good reasons: we just didn't have the time/energy after 8 hours of interviewing, it was bitterly cold and windy outside, and my colleague had a nasty cold. But I think that a big reason (unspoken by me) was that we didn't want to deal with what was sure to be a depressing scene. There were, after all, about 40% fewer jobs listed this year than last year. And last year's numbers were something like 30% less than the year before. It's nasty out there and I'm so grateful to have a job. And I couldn't handle seeing all those desparate folks who aren't as lucky as I am. Heck, I think I still have job-search PTSD.
Anyway, all of this is a roundabout way of saying, good for Brian Croxall for reminding people of how expensive, frustrating, awful, and often futile the job search can be.
Second link: from insidehighered.com, a report from a Rhet/Comp session at MLA. This session sounds like it was lame...lots of finger-pointing and pontificating about what's wrong with rhet/comp. But if you are interested, check out the comments at the end of the column. Some are depressing because of their own pontificating, but others (from Kathleen Yancy, for instance, or from Joe Essid, who I worked with the one year I was at Richmond) are quite good and give some hope.
Third link, also from insidehighered.com: this one made me laugh--a column about a panel of historian parents and their historian offspring at the annual American Historical Association meeting. Choice quotation? "[I]t turns out that the way you rebel against an American historian parent is to become a medievalist." Ha. Beyond the laughs, though, are smart observations about how the field (and academia) has changed over the years. Good stuff.
One last link, which is only going to be funny to English folks...MLA 2010.
Earthquake Relief
Fellow Lutheran readers (or anyone else who is looking for a good source to donate to)...the ELCA's website has a really easy donation process. Every little bit helps, right? Such devastating news for people who were already struggling. Prayer certainly helps and can make a difference, but so can money...
Out of class early, so how about some quick link-dumping?
I've got ten minutes until my next class, so let me clean out my bookmarks a bit and share some fun links with you.
1) From back in November, some current writers (including Silas House and Jill McCorkle) talk about their first books.
2) From I don't know where, but I love it (click to make it bigger). I am teaching John Smith's writings on Friday and might just have to bring this to class.
3) From the New York Times Magazine (very impressive, no?), check out "Going Cyborg," by my friend and fellow UNCG alum, Jillian Weise.
4) Finally, from Insidehighered.com, an interesting column about the murder of Indiana University professor Don Belton.
Okay--I need to stop myself! Off to class I go!
1) From back in November, some current writers (including Silas House and Jill McCorkle) talk about their first books.
2) From I don't know where, but I love it (click to make it bigger). I am teaching John Smith's writings on Friday and might just have to bring this to class.
3) From the New York Times Magazine (very impressive, no?), check out "Going Cyborg," by my friend and fellow UNCG alum, Jillian Weise.
4) Finally, from Insidehighered.com, an interesting column about the murder of Indiana University professor Don Belton.
Okay--I need to stop myself! Off to class I go!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Adventures in Grading: Fall Semester Wrap-Up
It's way late to be posting these, but I hate to let these gems of bad/funny/strange writing go unshared.
From an English 204 Paper: "The impact of words such as this pierces deep into the soul and grinds up a person's insides like mashed potatoes." I actually kind of like this one because you can at least tell that the words moved the student. I do wonder how this student feels about mashed potatoes, though.
All of the rest are from English 204 Final Exams...
"Her aunt was named No Name Woman because she got prego when she shouldn't have and her village kicked her out." Where to begin? The idea that this student seems to think the woman was actually named "No Name Woman"? The use of the word "prego"? Another student, writing on the same story, put another unique twist on the aunt's predicament: "Her aunt got pregnants."
"No matter if you are dead or alive, family is always with you." That's just creepy.
"Her story, though fiction, has very accurate idealization of what it was like for slaves before the Civil War." I am not sure what "accurate idealization" of slavery is...
"A plum is simple, yet delicious, so the form he uses is short, descriptive wording that sends the reader on a taste adventure into Williams' perspective." Okay, I kind of like this one, too. Perhaps this student has a career in advertising awaiting him or her. (Yes, it's about "This is Just to Say.")
"This story shows how something as petite as the color of one's skin determines who you love." An example of how your internal thesaurus can lead you astray.
"The male domination should be counterbalanced with some stories of women smacking a few men around and see how they like it." Not that I am in favor of violence, but one must admire that a male student wrote this.
Finally, from Part I in the exam, where students identify quotations from works we've read...I thought it might be fun to share some butchered versions of the title of one of Emily Dickinson's most famous poems, "I heard a Fly buzz--when I died:"
"Before Death Comes a Buzz--Then Die"
"A Fly flew by and buzzed when I died"
"There was a fly by my death bed"
"Something about a fly buzzing"
Onto the Spring Semester, which starts on Monday!
From an English 204 Paper: "The impact of words such as this pierces deep into the soul and grinds up a person's insides like mashed potatoes." I actually kind of like this one because you can at least tell that the words moved the student. I do wonder how this student feels about mashed potatoes, though.
All of the rest are from English 204 Final Exams...
"Her aunt was named No Name Woman because she got prego when she shouldn't have and her village kicked her out." Where to begin? The idea that this student seems to think the woman was actually named "No Name Woman"? The use of the word "prego"? Another student, writing on the same story, put another unique twist on the aunt's predicament: "Her aunt got pregnants."
"No matter if you are dead or alive, family is always with you." That's just creepy.
"Her story, though fiction, has very accurate idealization of what it was like for slaves before the Civil War." I am not sure what "accurate idealization" of slavery is...
"A plum is simple, yet delicious, so the form he uses is short, descriptive wording that sends the reader on a taste adventure into Williams' perspective." Okay, I kind of like this one, too. Perhaps this student has a career in advertising awaiting him or her. (Yes, it's about "This is Just to Say.")
"This story shows how something as petite as the color of one's skin determines who you love." An example of how your internal thesaurus can lead you astray.
"The male domination should be counterbalanced with some stories of women smacking a few men around and see how they like it." Not that I am in favor of violence, but one must admire that a male student wrote this.
Finally, from Part I in the exam, where students identify quotations from works we've read...I thought it might be fun to share some butchered versions of the title of one of Emily Dickinson's most famous poems, "I heard a Fly buzz--when I died:"
"Before Death Comes a Buzz--Then Die"
"A Fly flew by and buzzed when I died"
"There was a fly by my death bed"
"Something about a fly buzzing"
Onto the Spring Semester, which starts on Monday!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
More puppies!
Check out my dog-niece, a boxer puppy that my brother Ryan got just before Thanksgiving. He named her "Sugaree," which is apparently a Grateful Dead song. We've always been a cat family, but it didn't take long for her to win us all over.
Here she is with Ryan.
With Ryan again.
Sleeping in Jeff's arms.
Hanging with Kelsie.
With yours truly.
She even passed the test with my mom, the biggest challenge of all. Less than 5 minutes after this picture was taken, my mom was calling her "Oma's dog." Too funny.
And of course, I've got video.
This last video shows what happens when puppy meets cat and neither one saw it coming. Notice, by the way, how I get asked, "Did you step on her?" Real nice, folks.
Fall wrap-up
Now that I am catching my breath, here are some photo highlights (?) from this past semester...
First, there were the conferences...
Vogel and I at SSAWW in Philadelphia in October. This is the one decent photo I have from that conference.
Aaron and David at SAMLA in Atlanta in November. A couple of hotties, right?
Gretchen was at SAMLA, too, and we totally geeked out over her presence at the book displays. The above photo is a blurb she has on the back of this book.
And of course we had to get a photo of her just happening to notice her own book on sale.
Of course, it wasn't all about glamourous conferences and travel this semester. There was also, as I've complained about a lot on this blog, tons of freakin' work to do!
Not everyone was happy about all that work. Here are Bing and Wes doing their best to talk me into taking a break one night. This was in the middle of advising, as evidenced by the spring course schedule and catalog in the picture.
Bing's tactics got increasingly desparate that night. "If she won't stop, I'll just throw myself on the papers and look cute."
Again, it was a long semester!
But there were some fun moments, like the one below, from Allison's Halloween party.
Why yes, that is Little Red Riding Hood, Marie Antoinette, and a poor imitation of the Octomom.
First, there were the conferences...
Vogel and I at SSAWW in Philadelphia in October. This is the one decent photo I have from that conference.
Aaron and David at SAMLA in Atlanta in November. A couple of hotties, right?
Gretchen was at SAMLA, too, and we totally geeked out over her presence at the book displays. The above photo is a blurb she has on the back of this book.
And of course we had to get a photo of her just happening to notice her own book on sale.
Of course, it wasn't all about glamourous conferences and travel this semester. There was also, as I've complained about a lot on this blog, tons of freakin' work to do!
Not everyone was happy about all that work. Here are Bing and Wes doing their best to talk me into taking a break one night. This was in the middle of advising, as evidenced by the spring course schedule and catalog in the picture.
Bing's tactics got increasingly desparate that night. "If she won't stop, I'll just throw myself on the papers and look cute."
Again, it was a long semester!
But there were some fun moments, like the one below, from Allison's Halloween party.
Why yes, that is Little Red Riding Hood, Marie Antoinette, and a poor imitation of the Octomom.
I promised puppies...
...and I deliver puppies.
The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, a day that I had been in my office on campus all day grading papers and reading applications, my friend Steph stopped by with her new acquisition, Cali. Pretty darn cute, right?
You can also check out this video on Cali and Bella, her new big sister, playing on the floor of my office. Please ignore my silly laughter--you can tell I was punchy and just thrilled for such an adorable distraction.
The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, a day that I had been in my office on campus all day grading papers and reading applications, my friend Steph stopped by with her new acquisition, Cali. Pretty darn cute, right?
You can also check out this video on Cali and Bella, her new big sister, playing on the floor of my office. Please ignore my silly laughter--you can tell I was punchy and just thrilled for such an adorable distraction.
Done!
I am trying to keep this relatively quiet, since most of my colleagues are still mired in grading, but I am DONE with mine as of about 3:00 yesterday afternoon. Some of the credit is due to early exams, but I also just plowed through them, determined to get done as soon as I could.
More good news: my dad had a heart procedure yesterday that (for once!) went amazingly well. He had to spend last night in the hospital, but should actually feel better once he gets home. Believe me, that is so not the usual pattern. And God bless the scientists/doctors who had made such amazing advancements in technology. Yesterday, his doctor was able to remove a blockage that had been untouchable and untreatable since 1989. That's 20 years. Amazing.
The cherry on top: tomorrow, I have a day of Christmas shopping and fun with Jane on the schedule.
I haven't said this for a while--haven't had the heart to in the middle of what has been a rough couple of months--but life seems pretty darn good right now and I feel quite blessed.
More good news: my dad had a heart procedure yesterday that (for once!) went amazingly well. He had to spend last night in the hospital, but should actually feel better once he gets home. Believe me, that is so not the usual pattern. And God bless the scientists/doctors who had made such amazing advancements in technology. Yesterday, his doctor was able to remove a blockage that had been untouchable and untreatable since 1989. That's 20 years. Amazing.
The cherry on top: tomorrow, I have a day of Christmas shopping and fun with Jane on the schedule.
I haven't said this for a while--haven't had the heart to in the middle of what has been a rough couple of months--but life seems pretty darn good right now and I feel quite blessed.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Goodbye to an old friend...
Sad news from New York: my parents' cat Bailey died today suddenly at the age of 15. (The doctor thinks it was a heart attack.) He was just fine when I saw him over Thanksgiving. He and I even fell asleep together on the couch one night, with him snoring happily away. He really was a major part of our lives for so long--in fact, it is strange for me to call him my "parents' cat" since for so long (when I considered NY my home), I would have called him "my cat," too. (The semantics of these things evolve when you move away and get your "own" pets.)
My parents are understandably shocked and very sad. Couldn't have come at a worse time for them, for lots of reasons I won't go into right now. To tell you the truth, I cried my eyes out when I heard. He was a great cat and I'll miss him a lot.
Emerging from Grading Lockdown...
So I've still got a decent amount to get done: about 30 more exams to grade and one of those short articles to finish, but I am taking a mini-break to say one thing:
Holy crap, can you believe the ending of Dexter last night? So heartbreaking...so amazing.
Okay--back to work I go!
Holy crap, can you believe the ending of Dexter last night? So heartbreaking...so amazing.
Okay--back to work I go!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
End-of-the-Semester Totals
Wow...no posts in a long time! Sorry 'bout that. Life has been very busy since that last posting. The presentation went well, but then there was Thanksgiving, over 160 job applications to read, 100 ENGL 204 papers to grade, 20 MLA interviews to schedule, and just general craziness.
But, catching my breath for a moment, here are the final tallies of work awaiting me--all needing to be completed by December 16:
1) Seventeen English 101 essays, each about 4 pages. This class started out with 20, so I lost three of them... I got these essays today and have already read through four of them. (It does by so unbelievably quickly when you don't have to comment on them!)
2) Ninety-nine English 204 exams (3 sections). This could be worse: each class started off with 35 students, so there could have been 105. I get two sections worth of these tomorrow and the other section on Monday morning.
3) Two short introductions for the Anthology of Appalachian Writers, one on Jesse Stuart's "Split Cherry Tree" and one on Rebecca Harding Davis's "Life in the Iron-Mills." These are, as I mentioned, supposed to be short (2-3 pages each) and I've got the research done. I just need to sit down and write them!
4) MLA interviews to plan. This is a minor thing--and there's a committee involved, but it's on my mind, so it's on the list.
5) One party to host at my house. The Sigma Tau Delta students want to have a holiday party at my house, so tomorrow's the day. Should be fun--but I've got to clean the house and all that before then, so I am putting this on the "work" list.
After that, it's a short trip home for Christmas, then off to MLA, then back to WV to finish up those syllabi for next semester!
As a reward for myself for getting work done, I might be taking some blogging breaks (breaks during which I blog!) to catch up a bit. I've got pictures from Thanksgiving, for instance, and pictures and videos of puppies! (Everyone loves puppies, right?)
But, catching my breath for a moment, here are the final tallies of work awaiting me--all needing to be completed by December 16:
1) Seventeen English 101 essays, each about 4 pages. This class started out with 20, so I lost three of them... I got these essays today and have already read through four of them. (It does by so unbelievably quickly when you don't have to comment on them!)
2) Ninety-nine English 204 exams (3 sections). This could be worse: each class started off with 35 students, so there could have been 105. I get two sections worth of these tomorrow and the other section on Monday morning.
3) Two short introductions for the Anthology of Appalachian Writers, one on Jesse Stuart's "Split Cherry Tree" and one on Rebecca Harding Davis's "Life in the Iron-Mills." These are, as I mentioned, supposed to be short (2-3 pages each) and I've got the research done. I just need to sit down and write them!
4) MLA interviews to plan. This is a minor thing--and there's a committee involved, but it's on my mind, so it's on the list.
5) One party to host at my house. The Sigma Tau Delta students want to have a holiday party at my house, so tomorrow's the day. Should be fun--but I've got to clean the house and all that before then, so I am putting this on the "work" list.
After that, it's a short trip home for Christmas, then off to MLA, then back to WV to finish up those syllabi for next semester!
As a reward for myself for getting work done, I might be taking some blogging breaks (breaks during which I blog!) to catch up a bit. I've got pictures from Thanksgiving, for instance, and pictures and videos of puppies! (Everyone loves puppies, right?)
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