I should probably have tried to find the passage from _Absolute Friends_. The admiral's comment was meant as a gift, in a benign spirit, kindly, given I had just been asked to come up with a title, and yet he was making fun, mocking the whole idea as is done in LeCarre's book where the passages I was thinking of begin with this non-western character (Southasian maybe) saying to the hero, what is it with you English, making this ridiculous fuss over who becomes a duchess and who doesn't and there's a witty reply canvassing the tradition of such characters.
I don't know if Independent Scholar regarded as a no-no title or term. I've seen it lots and lots and have never quite been able to tell if it is worse or better than adjunct. But I have seen famous old scholars who are now retired just have their names ont their tags. How silly. Why not keep the place they retired from? They have library privileges. Part of the ridiculousness of these titles is caring in this way; it supports them.
It's probably better to have a job since Americans respect money-making and academics institutional affiliations. I did see a quiet implicit dismissal of Byrne by a tenured scholar when she remarked to the group that Byne "never held a job" in academia. The very phrase reeks.
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I don't know if Independent Scholar regarded as a no-no title or term. I've seen it lots and lots and have never quite been able to tell if it is worse or better than adjunct. But I have seen famous old scholars who are now retired just have their names ont their tags. How silly. Why not keep the place they retired from? They have library privileges. Part of the ridiculousness of these titles is caring in this way; it supports them.
It's probably better to have a job since Americans respect money-making and academics institutional affiliations. I did see a quiet implicit dismissal of Byrne by a tenured scholar when she remarked to the group that Byne "never held a job" in academia. The very phrase reeks.
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