"And they'll crush us if we go too far ~"
Recently I’ve passed my M.A. thesis defense ("Henry Thoreau's Debt to Society: A Micro Literary History"), graduated, had my department job extended until my lease expires, and lost water in my apartment. More later, but now I want to share some vitally important people. This is me with the dream team, the faculty in my department who mean the most.
Dr. Levy on the left was my primary advisor, although I saw the least of him. He said that advising my thesis felt like “cheating,” because I didn’t need much supervision (we met once this semester), and then churned out a good product. I won the graduate program’s award for writing this year (and cash prize :-D !!), and so he gave my thesis a huge plug at the reception where this picture was taken.
On my other side is Joye, the department chair and my boss. She deals with a mountain of responsibility every day and somehow still keeps her cool and is sensitive to other folks’ time and concerns. She's a little old-fashioned in a charming way.
Next is John, the walking encyclopedia who speaks an outrageous number of languages and knows the contours of just about every social or nationalistic history ever written or made. He does African history primarily, but happily and knowledgeably advised my independent study on Irish nationalism last year. Then he turned around and served on the committee for my American literary history thesis. He was firing on all cylinders during my defense, whipping out some Kantian theory and modern education standards.
Marla is the Graduate Program Director and my final committee member, and she never falls out of ‘go-mode.’ She’s the life force of the Public History program here, and basically an open-minded ball of energy. She’s the reason I was able to tailor my curriculum so thoroughly - from doing a dual Public History track in Museums AND Writing, to the thesis, to two independent studies when most folks do none or just one. At the reception where this photo was taken she and Joye pulled me aside, and they presented me with a wrapped copy of Walden by Haiku, which they’d inscribed.
So obviously, I hit the jackpot. Four active mentors who are all still steadily contributing to their fields, and who all like me... Dream team. Later days.
Dr. Levy on the left was my primary advisor, although I saw the least of him. He said that advising my thesis felt like “cheating,” because I didn’t need much supervision (we met once this semester), and then churned out a good product. I won the graduate program’s award for writing this year (and cash prize :-D !!), and so he gave my thesis a huge plug at the reception where this picture was taken.
On my other side is Joye, the department chair and my boss. She deals with a mountain of responsibility every day and somehow still keeps her cool and is sensitive to other folks’ time and concerns. She's a little old-fashioned in a charming way.
Next is John, the walking encyclopedia who speaks an outrageous number of languages and knows the contours of just about every social or nationalistic history ever written or made. He does African history primarily, but happily and knowledgeably advised my independent study on Irish nationalism last year. Then he turned around and served on the committee for my American literary history thesis. He was firing on all cylinders during my defense, whipping out some Kantian theory and modern education standards.
Marla is the Graduate Program Director and my final committee member, and she never falls out of ‘go-mode.’ She’s the life force of the Public History program here, and basically an open-minded ball of energy. She’s the reason I was able to tailor my curriculum so thoroughly - from doing a dual Public History track in Museums AND Writing, to the thesis, to two independent studies when most folks do none or just one. At the reception where this photo was taken she and Joye pulled me aside, and they presented me with a wrapped copy of Walden by Haiku, which they’d inscribed.
So obviously, I hit the jackpot. Four active mentors who are all still steadily contributing to their fields, and who all like me... Dream team. Later days.