Hi all,
So a few updates that I should probably have spread out into multiple posts, but since I have such a tough time remembering to get on here, I'm just gonna say it all at once:
FIRST:
I went to a conference at Wrightsville Beach last weekend and HAD A BLAST! I rented a car and left Columbia @ 4am, got lost, and was a tiny bit late for the first session, but I got to spend 6hrs just me & Jason Mraz, so it was a fantastic trip :) I got to the hotel and checked in to my canal view room, only to find out that they'd given me an oceanview room instead for the same price! ($50 difference) The conference was great - I learned ton(ne)s, met some great people with whom I am staying in contact, got Fredric Jameson to sign my copy of "Political Unconscious", and signed up to create a semi-annual bibliography for Utopus Discovered (a society newsletter) that will tell people what is currently being published in the Utopian Studies world.
In other news: I also took a lovely walk on the Carolina coast for the first time since 2004, collected a seashell and a really great stone, watched some surfers and got a $40 meal for $5.50 + tip... and on the return trip, I took a "Sunday drive" with Jason Mraz and stopped at fruit stands and tourist shops at regular intervals, after spending the morning driving up & down the Myrtle Beach strand and shopping at the outlet mall.
So overall, no complaints re the conference trip!
SECOND:
While I was at the conference, I had a fantastic visit with my aunt, who lives 15mins from the hotel*! We ate supper at a cute local grille with a fantastic server, then spent the evening getting my aunt signed onto Twitter and watching TV before we both crashed at 10pm. sad. haha. ANYWAY: while Vicki and I were in my room talking, I checked my email and found out that...
THIRD:
I got an email from my advisor (who had cc'd another prof) to tell me about an opportunity for a fellowship in France next school year... my advisor told me the bare details: it's teaching English at a university in Mulhouse [moo-looz], France, paid position (20K euro), for one year. I would get university-level teaching experience, french practice, and not have to go further into debt all in one fell swoop. Is that how you spell "fell swoop"? Anyone know the etymology there? hmm... back to the topic! I hadn't checked my email all day, so the other prof had replied as well, to inform me that NO ONE has expressed interest so far. So I have talked it over with the Fam and I intend to apply**. They have to send an email out and I reply with a letter of interest in writing. I have prayed about it and have come to the decision that - if I am offered the position - I will be moving to France next summer! And if not, then I will more than likely be spending the summer working on French somewhere (maybe Vermont?). Proverbs 16:9, people!
FOURTH:
Compared to that fun-filled weekend, the remainder of my week has been pretty blah. I got my H1N1 vaccine and I think it made me a little sick, but I was over it by late Friday night. AND I have literally spent 15hrs this weekend reading journal articles for 2 essays due at the beginning of December.
Off topic, but still pertinent: I am inclined to make it my mission to become a female theorist who isn't determined to put a feminist spin of EVERYTHING I WRITE. It really is annoying that that is all I read from women theorists. At least that's what it feels like. Can't I be a part of a world that isn't splintered into factions? I may change my mind, but I won't be happy about it.
Love to everyone - will keep you informed!
* she has cats. there was no way I could visit her, so she came to my hotel for a slumber party!
** I have since found out that one other person has expressed interest, and that he went last year, so I don't know what my chances are right now.
08 November 2009
27 October 2009
New Crush - minipost.
Now, this is not an MG crush, mind you, but I thought I would share a video posted on Superforest.org today. I think I love Jackson. I mean, I even love his dog - it made me giggle! That's some serious crushing. haha.
The end.
The end.
The Plan, part 1
So this past week has been a roller coaster. Actually, more like the past 7 weeks, so I'll start there:
7 weeks ago, I started developing insomnia for the first time in my life. I have never been a great sleeper, but I have always felt rested after I got awake. Until mid-September. For 6 weeks, I averaged 3hrs/night of sleep - and I was getting increasingly irritable. I know... I'm always so sunshiny! Anyway: after 6 weeks of insomnia, I broke down & asked for prescription meds to help. BAD IDEA. Within 15 mins of taking the pills, I was in a full-blown 3-day-long allergic reaction. But I am in the States and didn't trust my health insurance to cover an ER visit, so I rode it out for the night*. I got 1 hour of sleep that night. YAY.
What I realized after (or maybe during?) was that my insomnia did have a trigger: I have also been having panic attacks/mini-breakdowns over the foreign language component of my PhD since mid-September.
I have been seeing a counselor for about a month to help with the PhD anxiety, and in last week's session, I mentioned that I was considering transferring to a PhD in English and we discussed. I decided to at least talk to the English dept - see if it was possible... and not only is it possible, it is WAY easy: one form and $15. So I met with some profs, asked some questions, realized that it would save me at least 6mos on my PhD... and was about 90% decided that I would transfer this week by the time I went in to my night class on Thursday.
Thursday night's classes are always unpredictable. We are never on schedule and the lecturer has had to remove at least 40% of the syllabus because our conversations are always so in-depth. That, and there are 27 graduate students in the class. So I did not expect a 3-hr session on the field of Comparative Lit when I walked into that classroom...
It was amazing. Life-changing. Reaffirming. I walked out of that class knowing that I am supposed to be in Comp Lit. And I have to get over my anxiety and do what it takes to get this degree.
Monday morning I woke up realizing that I have not set foot in the school's language lab yet. So I decided to take that first step, and found out that U of SC is registered with Rosetta Stone - so I spent 3+hrs there and am now on lesson 4 of unit 1 in French, haha! Back to the basics, for serious.
On Monday afternoon, I met with my Comp Lit advisor and told her the above story. By the time I told her that I was staying in the program, she let out a huge sigh and was like, "I was totally prepared for you to say you are leaving!" Then she told me about a summer immersion program in Vermont that she would like for me to check out. It took her a minute to remember the name of the school and all I could think of was "Middlebury" because that is where a cultural theorist/media studies prof named Jason Mittell works - I follow him on twitter and subscribe to his blog. And all of a sudden, my advisor is like, "Middlebury College! That's the name of the school." WHAT? I thought, well, how convenient!
This morning I pulled up the Middlebury College language school website to find out how much the program costs and if it accepts financial aid. As soon as I pulled up the financial aid page, the interoffice mailman came in & my job is to disperse the mail. So I left the page up for when I returned and started delivery.
And the last envelope I encounter is addressed to the Department Chair... from Middlebury College - WHAT???? I told the story to Catherine, the Chair's assistant and lady I desk-sit for over lunch hours. Catherine was like, "well, that's serendipity. This envelope should actually be yours." She opened it and handed me the papers.
I got to my office and started to read the pages. It was an announcement for a fellowship that pays for 100% of the language school summer programs... can I just say now that GOD IS GOOD.??
Now I don't have the fellowship, but WOW.
And if nothing else, I would say that I have confirmation that I am, in fact, supposed to be in Comp Lit!
And that is part one of my PhD plan blog posts.
* I did go to the health center the following day and got help.
7 weeks ago, I started developing insomnia for the first time in my life. I have never been a great sleeper, but I have always felt rested after I got awake. Until mid-September. For 6 weeks, I averaged 3hrs/night of sleep - and I was getting increasingly irritable. I know... I'm always so sunshiny! Anyway: after 6 weeks of insomnia, I broke down & asked for prescription meds to help. BAD IDEA. Within 15 mins of taking the pills, I was in a full-blown 3-day-long allergic reaction. But I am in the States and didn't trust my health insurance to cover an ER visit, so I rode it out for the night*. I got 1 hour of sleep that night. YAY.
What I realized after (or maybe during?) was that my insomnia did have a trigger: I have also been having panic attacks/mini-breakdowns over the foreign language component of my PhD since mid-September.
I have been seeing a counselor for about a month to help with the PhD anxiety, and in last week's session, I mentioned that I was considering transferring to a PhD in English and we discussed. I decided to at least talk to the English dept - see if it was possible... and not only is it possible, it is WAY easy: one form and $15. So I met with some profs, asked some questions, realized that it would save me at least 6mos on my PhD... and was about 90% decided that I would transfer this week by the time I went in to my night class on Thursday.
Thursday night's classes are always unpredictable. We are never on schedule and the lecturer has had to remove at least 40% of the syllabus because our conversations are always so in-depth. That, and there are 27 graduate students in the class. So I did not expect a 3-hr session on the field of Comparative Lit when I walked into that classroom...
It was amazing. Life-changing. Reaffirming. I walked out of that class knowing that I am supposed to be in Comp Lit. And I have to get over my anxiety and do what it takes to get this degree.
Monday morning I woke up realizing that I have not set foot in the school's language lab yet. So I decided to take that first step, and found out that U of SC is registered with Rosetta Stone - so I spent 3+hrs there and am now on lesson 4 of unit 1 in French, haha! Back to the basics, for serious.
On Monday afternoon, I met with my Comp Lit advisor and told her the above story. By the time I told her that I was staying in the program, she let out a huge sigh and was like, "I was totally prepared for you to say you are leaving!" Then she told me about a summer immersion program in Vermont that she would like for me to check out. It took her a minute to remember the name of the school and all I could think of was "Middlebury" because that is where a cultural theorist/media studies prof named Jason Mittell works - I follow him on twitter and subscribe to his blog. And all of a sudden, my advisor is like, "Middlebury College! That's the name of the school." WHAT? I thought, well, how convenient!
This morning I pulled up the Middlebury College language school website to find out how much the program costs and if it accepts financial aid. As soon as I pulled up the financial aid page, the interoffice mailman came in & my job is to disperse the mail. So I left the page up for when I returned and started delivery.
And the last envelope I encounter is addressed to the Department Chair... from Middlebury College - WHAT???? I told the story to Catherine, the Chair's assistant and lady I desk-sit for over lunch hours. Catherine was like, "well, that's serendipity. This envelope should actually be yours." She opened it and handed me the papers.
I got to my office and started to read the pages. It was an announcement for a fellowship that pays for 100% of the language school summer programs... can I just say now that GOD IS GOOD.??
Now I don't have the fellowship, but WOW.
And if nothing else, I would say that I have confirmation that I am, in fact, supposed to be in Comp Lit!
And that is part one of my PhD plan blog posts.
* I did go to the health center the following day and got help.
19 October 2009
Judge a Book...
Hi all -
This will be short, but I was sitting here trying to come up with research ideas and I looked up at the shelf above my desk and thought: "If someone were to randomly see all of these books, they'd probably think I have split-personality disorder!" So I thought I would share the list...(L-R):
Plato's Republic
Archaeologies of the Future: The Desire Called Utopia & Other Science Fictions
Ordinary Enchantments
Literary Topics: Magic Realism
A Companion to Magical Realism
The Spaces of Latin American Literature
Dark Horizons: Science Fiction and the Dystopian Imagination
The Immanent Utopia
Literature, Culture & Society
The end of Irish History?
Strands of Utopia
Demand the Impossible: Science Fiction and the Utopian Imagination
Captain Rock,Night Errant:The Threatening Letters of Pre-Famine Ireland, 1801-45
Jorge Luis Borges
The Image of the Future
Latin American Science Fiction Writers
And there you go! Books representing the various research ideas I have had in the past month. hah. Way to go INDECISION! :)
Love you all and miss you ton(nes) - and I do apologize that this does not include a crush-of-the-week bearded edition... but if it did, you KNOW there'd be a pic of MRAZ!
take care ~
SS
This will be short, but I was sitting here trying to come up with research ideas and I looked up at the shelf above my desk and thought: "If someone were to randomly see all of these books, they'd probably think I have split-personality disorder!" So I thought I would share the list...(L-R):
Plato's Republic
Archaeologies of the Future: The Desire Called Utopia & Other Science Fictions
Ordinary Enchantments
Literary Topics: Magic Realism
A Companion to Magical Realism
The Spaces of Latin American Literature
Dark Horizons: Science Fiction and the Dystopian Imagination
The Immanent Utopia
Literature, Culture & Society
The end of Irish History?
Strands of Utopia
Demand the Impossible: Science Fiction and the Utopian Imagination
Captain Rock,Night Errant:The Threatening Letters of Pre-Famine Ireland, 1801-45
Jorge Luis Borges
The Image of the Future
Latin American Science Fiction Writers
And there you go! Books representing the various research ideas I have had in the past month. hah. Way to go INDECISION! :)
Love you all and miss you ton(nes) - and I do apologize that this does not include a crush-of-the-week bearded edition... but if it did, you KNOW there'd be a pic of MRAZ!
take care ~
SS
08 September 2009
Serious Thought
I recently found a few questions that I thought were worthy of taking the time to answer... I thought I would share my ponderings here.
What inspires me?
I am inspired by words, language, literature & photography. I love "reading" humankind... I am inspired by the way people interact and how words, literature, language and photography are used as reflective tools. I love noticing the way people view themselves and the world around them, how they would like to see it and the ways that they use these four venues to create, encourage, and decipher their individual world. I find inspiration in the way each individual world intertwines, reflects and, ultimately, connects with the world universal... I am fascinated with how words can be manipulated, how language can forge bonds, how literature can reflect and how photography can represent both the person and the culture - how they can breathe new life into the mundane and edify humankind. I am beginning my studies as a Utopian scholar because of this passion. (can you tell?)
What do I love about my community?
I have lived in 3 nations and have managed to feel a part of my community wherever I am. I am blessed to recognise that my community is not limited to my geographical location, but that my community is "my world" - the people, the history, the culture, the architecture, the music - into which I am immersed. This blog is a personal (sometimes admittedly boring) blog that I have subtitled "welcome to my world: a novel" as an invitation to join me on my travels (both internal & external).
Charlotte, NC is my familial home. If you want to know what I love about Charlotte, in particular, I would have to say that I love the hugs. I love that since returning to the South less than a week ago*, I have gotten more hugs from strangers than I got in 6yrs living abroad! Charlotte is a big city full of Southern charm - she's got amazing history, a rich culture and her hands reach toward the dream of a better future while embracing the past within loving arms.
How is Love expressed as Me in the world?
(I love the phrasing of this question!)
I would say that Love is expressed as Me in the world via the relationships that I forge with people on a one-to-one basis. I put a lot of effort into forging real relationships with everyone I know. I ask questions, offer advice, love & pray for the people I encounter. I listen and I try to believe that I can learn something from everyone I meet. I believe that Love is exemplified in the trust, encouragement and edification that is offered to each new friend in my life. I hope that, through one-on-one relationships, Love (and Joy and Peace) is/are able to cross racial, national & religious boundaries and reach out to all of humankind - one friend at a time.
So there you go! A little more insight into the mind of Steph than you had before :)
*at the time these questions were answered
What inspires me?
I am inspired by words, language, literature & photography. I love "reading" humankind... I am inspired by the way people interact and how words, literature, language and photography are used as reflective tools. I love noticing the way people view themselves and the world around them, how they would like to see it and the ways that they use these four venues to create, encourage, and decipher their individual world. I find inspiration in the way each individual world intertwines, reflects and, ultimately, connects with the world universal... I am fascinated with how words can be manipulated, how language can forge bonds, how literature can reflect and how photography can represent both the person and the culture - how they can breathe new life into the mundane and edify humankind. I am beginning my studies as a Utopian scholar because of this passion. (can you tell?)
What do I love about my community?
I have lived in 3 nations and have managed to feel a part of my community wherever I am. I am blessed to recognise that my community is not limited to my geographical location, but that my community is "my world" - the people, the history, the culture, the architecture, the music - into which I am immersed. This blog is a personal (sometimes admittedly boring) blog that I have subtitled "welcome to my world: a novel" as an invitation to join me on my travels (both internal & external).
Charlotte, NC is my familial home. If you want to know what I love about Charlotte, in particular, I would have to say that I love the hugs. I love that since returning to the South less than a week ago*, I have gotten more hugs from strangers than I got in 6yrs living abroad! Charlotte is a big city full of Southern charm - she's got amazing history, a rich culture and her hands reach toward the dream of a better future while embracing the past within loving arms.
How is Love expressed as Me in the world?
(I love the phrasing of this question!)
I would say that Love is expressed as Me in the world via the relationships that I forge with people on a one-to-one basis. I put a lot of effort into forging real relationships with everyone I know. I ask questions, offer advice, love & pray for the people I encounter. I listen and I try to believe that I can learn something from everyone I meet. I believe that Love is exemplified in the trust, encouragement and edification that is offered to each new friend in my life. I hope that, through one-on-one relationships, Love (and Joy and Peace) is/are able to cross racial, national & religious boundaries and reach out to all of humankind - one friend at a time.
So there you go! A little more insight into the mind of Steph than you had before :)
*at the time these questions were answered
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