"Are you a mob? You look like an angry mob." (or, the Mekons have a quote for every occasion.)

[missbaxter]

Survived giving first ever lecture! O.k., so it was only fifteen minutes long, but it was still in the big-ass MacRobert Lecture Hall in front of a lot of first-years, who were hard to read...couldn't tell if they were taking notes because they were interested, or if they were taking notes because I was devious and sneaky and refused to use Powerpoint (actually, I thought it might be more hassle than it was worth for fifteen minutes. Actually, they were probably all just doodling.) So it was fifteen minutes of me, talking about Alfred Hitchcock's background and making tenous links between his public/private persona, and the theme of appearance and identity and the idea of the auteur...kind of...(and auteur doesn't even look like a word any more.) It's all faded into a sweaty, wobbly blur. I have a feeling that most of it sounded better in my head than when I gabbled it at Gatling gun speed in front of a lot of fidgety students. Still, I'm alive. No one came after me with torches. Now I have to go eat something and  write something on the Thesis of Doom. (Although the short story unconnected to any other piece of writing in my brain (thesis or Hitch or NaNo or that letter I owe A.) that presented itself a couple of afternoons ago is considering being written.  Hmm. Poll time: Poll Room 31, the Congress Hotel
Also, picked up Neko Case's new album. Not as good as Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, but has some good moments. Wish that 'I'm an Animal' was longer - it really motors along. Her voice is still amazing though - wide and deep as a canyon. Goosebumps.