Not only did I make it through last week (obviously...), but I also made it through with, well, flying colors (I think). My grading got done, my assignments got done, and on Friday I let my students out about 20 minutes early. (I even got a round of applause, but that was either them being glad I let them out early, or being appreciative of my ( Read more... )

I'm theoretically writing a paper. No, really, I am ( Read more... )

The semester is both winding down and getting incredibly busy at the same time. It's hard to believe - and yet not that hard, really - that I'm already at the end of Year 2. In just a few weeks, I'll be able to call myself a third-year PhD student, and just one year from now, I'll be hitting the illusive ABD (All But Dissertation) designation ( Read more... )

Dear Sean Wilentz,

While I really do appreciate The Rise of American Democracy, did you really have to make it almost 800 pages long? And couldn't your publisher have let you do footnotes?

Footnotes make an 800-page book so. much. better.*

Respectfully,
tigg*For example, please see Michael O'Brien's fabulous analysis of Southern intellectual life. ( Read more... )

About an hour and a half ago, I started typing up an entry that basically told how I was giving up on this African seminar review essay ( Read more... )

I did make it home okay last night, although it was a stressful ride. My house is literally 30 miles from campus, which I generally don't mind - I like to drive and find it relaxing - but on days when the weather's bad, I DO mind. Quite a bit ( Read more... )

I'm usually quite up-beat and perky in person. Very few people get to experience the down-beat and non-perky me; it has to do with my own personal philosophy that no one else should have to suffer from MY bad days, if I can help it ( Read more... )

Before I dash off to finish off my to-do list (and eat lunch), I thought I'd pop in to say hi and all that ( Read more... )

Done, Done, and More Done ( Read more... )

To assure you all that I have NOT, indeed, fallen off the face of the earth, here I am!

I have more to say later in a locked post regarding the teaching stuff, but for now, I'll crawl out of my study hole to say hello and let you in on all the fascinating things I've been doing ( Read more... )