Live Nerd Girls

[lilmissnever]

There comes a time when a girl can no longer be paid (or loaned money) to read books and then write clever papers about them. Presumably this is because the girl has read enough books and written enough papers that an institution of higher learning has handed her a piece of paper signifying that they are finished with her. No employer will ever

Comments

[slurketta]

I have a friend who finished her PHD at Berkeley and immediately- like instantly- got a job teaching "Feminist Archeology" at Stanford. They pretty much dovetailed the professorship to her skills. If there's a job like that out there for her, there's a job out there doing exactly what you just finished studying. Or you can always sell out to skillset-specific evil, like an old boyfriend of mine who did "Peace Studies' at Santa Cruz and then became a defense analyst for a weapons tech company.

[threadwalker]

It's true. There are so many programs, schools, grants, etc. out there. ALL OVER. You can find the one for you.

What do you do with a BA in English?

[lilmissnever]

Looking for a job with a degree in the social sciences is very different from looking for a job in the tech industry (which constitutes pretty much all of my work experience). In the tech industry, if you know UNIX, you look for UNIX admin jobs. If you know networking, you look for networking jobs. If you can program in Foo language, you look for Foo development work.

I have just spent the last several years aquiring a set of skills and knowledges so open-ended that they could be applied to just about anything. As a result, I feel that they apply to nothing. The world is vast and full of opportunity - I'm just not certain what those opportunities are right now.

Re: What do you do with a BA in English?

[ammonoid]

Welcome to the liberal arts degree.

However you managed to graduate with some actual skills, like speaking Chinese.

[violentbloom]

sk says she doesn't hate men. just the ones that pay for sex

[lilmissnever]

I know, hence: or at least whatever it is that drives men to pay women money to simulate desire.

[lorigami]

I always thought it was less about actual desire and more about being the center of attention - some weird perversion of the mommy complex.

and hi, I think we met while I was on my honeymoon road trip in 2002, and was staying with Erin. Or at least you sound like the girl I met then.

[lilmissnever]

I don't know. If men need to feel like they're the center of attention, why is it so important that women take their clothes off while they're paying attention to them? I suspect that neither of us is really equipped to figure this one out. I need to ask some men to who actually go to strip clubs.

Also, hi! I am that girl. I probably talked about politics too much.

[threadwalker]

Ahhhh... we all think we will be superheros if we do stuff... if we get our qualifications, etc. What I have learned in seeing various successful people is that they just kept going while being passionate about their work, and seized opportunities (even small ones) to work their way closer to their passion. The twists in the path are entirely unpredictable in most cases. What looks like a tiny step you might turn down turns out to be a secret windfall. The promised path frequently doesn't pan out.

It's the focus and jumping after things, pursuing you passion, regardless of setbacks and hardships that finds you (often years, even decades later) in a position to live your dreams.

If you have focus and determination, you're lucky. I feel like I've got much talent and luck, combined with learning and skill all over, but so much alll over that I don't pursue any one thing with enough focus or passion to get too far. Trying to fix that

[angryceltboy]

Two of my first roommates upon moving to San Francisco were C and J, who paid their rent by being the "double in the bubble" at the Regal Show World - "where YOU are king." (J was C's boyfriend's little sister, and years later I STILL think that was pretty damned weird.)

The revulsion and disdain with which C and J spoke about the people who paid their rent was my first adult glimpse into that world, and it left an indelible mark.

Dominatrix comedy

[lilmissnever]

When M is done with the adult industry, I will ghost write her memoir. If I'm feeling particularly perverse, it will be a funny, insightful romp.

[postmaudlin]

i have a lot to say about all this. you should see my bookcase.

[lilmissnever]

You know I'd be happy to come over and take a look at it.

So...where did you put Indecent?

[postmaudlin]

It's between Porn Studies and The Lusty Lady, on the same shelf as Flesh for Fantasy; near Jane Sexes it Up, Gynomite, and The Other Hollywood and With a Rough Tongue: Femmes Write Porn. Not far from How to Make a Living as a Poet. ;)