Cool developments
So the man who's been teaching our postgraduate Research Methods seminar is an excellent professor, an extremely learned (and extremely young) and erudite man, and the most homosexual straight man I've met in a long time. Of course, this isn't a bad thing at all. We're all just utterly shocked that he isn't gay because he plays the part so damn well. To top it off, he is married to this beautiful Indian or Middle Eastern doctor, with whom he has fathered a daughter. What a life! He's from Toronto originally, but ended up in the 'burgh by virtue of his affinity for 18th century lit and his predeliction for sitting hours on end in the special collections section of the Edinburgh University Library and the echolicious and dreadfully cavernous reading rooms of the National Library of Scotland.
Anyway, back to the point. Dr. X is very encouraging and supportive of potentially ambitious students who would wish to involve themselves in any of the many disciplines and events prevalent in the academic world. Therefore, on his general recommendation, two mates and I went to see him this afternoon in the hopes of garnering his support and assistance in hosting a postgraduate conference on 20th Century Literature and Film of the North American West. The original idea is the brainchild of my friend Jeremy, who is writing his dissertation on Cormac McCarthy and Annie Proulx, and who really wanted to put his passion for this particular genre/theme to work for us and our CVs. So, Dr. X loved our proposal, wants to help us get the funding, the advertisement, and the catering, etc. One of our friends is going to help us with a website design and we're hoping to get a couple of Ph.Ds from the History/Classics dept. involved so that we can apply to their chair for extra funding (Likely funding from the Literatures, Languages and Cultures dept. would be about 100 pounds). As conference convenors we will each be able to chair a panel and present a paper, something none of us has ever done before but will inevitably need to get used to if we expect to foster any kind of useful career in academia.
All in all, it's been a good day. I'm in the final throes of the day, drinking a couple of strong pints (to be exact, Theakston Old Peculier Legendary Strong Ale--5.6%!--and Wychwood Hobgoblin Strong Dark Ale --5.2%). I feel confident in the consumption of these bevvies because I ran 5 times this week, twice for longer than 30 minutes. Go me.
Currently feeling: Slightly buzzified
Currently reading: Sardines, by Naruddin Farah and On the Genealogy of Morals by Nietzsche
Currently watching: Scrubs and Lost reruns
Currently fantasizing about: My now-booked trip to Slovenia and Croatia in April with the Hartogs twins.
Currently obsessing over: Carolyn. We had a bit of a row last weekend, didn't talk for almost 48 hours, made up, and everything since has been pure halcyon. We almost need to fight periodically just for perspective. Otherwise things honestly get a bit stale.
currently, currently, currently
Everyone, regardless of whether you love sports or think them the dark one's own delight in tormenting good, upstanding humans, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THIS IS HOLY TO YOU AND YOUR CITY (ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE FROM SEATTLE), ROOT FOR THE HAWKS THIS SUNDAY!!!!!
Ok. No more screaming.
Anyway, back to the point. Dr. X is very encouraging and supportive of potentially ambitious students who would wish to involve themselves in any of the many disciplines and events prevalent in the academic world. Therefore, on his general recommendation, two mates and I went to see him this afternoon in the hopes of garnering his support and assistance in hosting a postgraduate conference on 20th Century Literature and Film of the North American West. The original idea is the brainchild of my friend Jeremy, who is writing his dissertation on Cormac McCarthy and Annie Proulx, and who really wanted to put his passion for this particular genre/theme to work for us and our CVs. So, Dr. X loved our proposal, wants to help us get the funding, the advertisement, and the catering, etc. One of our friends is going to help us with a website design and we're hoping to get a couple of Ph.Ds from the History/Classics dept. involved so that we can apply to their chair for extra funding (Likely funding from the Literatures, Languages and Cultures dept. would be about 100 pounds). As conference convenors we will each be able to chair a panel and present a paper, something none of us has ever done before but will inevitably need to get used to if we expect to foster any kind of useful career in academia.
All in all, it's been a good day. I'm in the final throes of the day, drinking a couple of strong pints (to be exact, Theakston Old Peculier Legendary Strong Ale--5.6%!--and Wychwood Hobgoblin Strong Dark Ale --5.2%). I feel confident in the consumption of these bevvies because I ran 5 times this week, twice for longer than 30 minutes. Go me.
Currently feeling: Slightly buzzified
Currently reading: Sardines, by Naruddin Farah and On the Genealogy of Morals by Nietzsche
Currently watching: Scrubs and Lost reruns
Currently fantasizing about: My now-booked trip to Slovenia and Croatia in April with the Hartogs twins.
Currently obsessing over: Carolyn. We had a bit of a row last weekend, didn't talk for almost 48 hours, made up, and everything since has been pure halcyon. We almost need to fight periodically just for perspective. Otherwise things honestly get a bit stale.
currently, currently, currently
Everyone, regardless of whether you love sports or think them the dark one's own delight in tormenting good, upstanding humans, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THIS IS HOLY TO YOU AND YOUR CITY (ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE FROM SEATTLE), ROOT FOR THE HAWKS THIS SUNDAY!!!!!
Ok. No more screaming.