Bit of Ivory

So, a lot has happened since I last updated.

1) I’m now graduating in August. I talked to Dr. Walker, my thesis chair, and we both agreed that writing the thesis by April would be pushing it. The idea is to defend in spring term, then walk in August. This makes me happy, as life will be much less stressful. It also means that, should I get accepted for Lumos, I might actually qualify for the funding they give to grad students who present at conferences. And money for going to Vegas is good.

2) The job is okay, but not spectacular. My usual method of writing (write a few sentences, take a break, write a few more, check e-mail, write a few more, check LJ, write a few more, check TLC, etc.) doesn’t seem quite right when I’m on the clock and getting paid for it. So that’s taking a bit of adjusting.

2) I’m now an unofficial unpaid TA for Dr. Walker’s English 292 (second half of British lit) class. My first day is tommorrow. Hopefully this will give me a bit of experience that I’ve been lacking.

3) I also had a chat with Dr. Mason, the graduate coordinator and my romanticism prof this semester. He was pretty reassuring, gave me lots of good advice, explored options of where to go for a Ph.D, made offers to lean on various people to let me teach or write me letters of recommendation, and was generally everything I needed him to be. He told me that, as my romantic lit professor and one who is pretty darn familiar with my work, I should become an expert on romantic-era British fiction– not just Austen, but Scott, Burney, Radcliffe, Edgeworth, etc. Also that I should read Belinda. I am seriously considering this advice. In fact, I have already started reading Belinda on Project Gutenburg. Good so far.

24 is on! Whoot!