Even the pugs have caught the Liberal New York spirit! Now if only it could work it's magic on my Dad...
A quick update before my Mom arrives (in approximately one hour!) and takes up all my extra computer time...
The Masters is going well, though it's hard to tell after only 3 weeks. I've already had my first run-in with Academia and its elitist principles. In a class on academic writing and presentation, we discussed who scholarly articles should be aimed at--almost every student said OTHER PROFESSORS! Exactly my contention with Academics! Reading should be pleasurable and for everyone, and if you have a good enough thesis, and an interesting enough article, anyone from high school on up should be able to read and understand it!!! Pretencious arses ;) I bet there is a lot of Shift-F7 (Word Thesaurus) going on behind closed doors. They should take their fingers out of their butts (as PAB would say) and write a decent article!
I didn't even realize I felt so strongly about the topic until I started writing :) Well, there you go! Either the PhD is not where I'm meant to be, or I need to revolutionize the system! I have realized that I am a HUGE NERD, and greatly enjoy spending a sunny Saturday (a rarity in Bristol as it is) cooped up in the library reading about Oscar Wilde. I have decided (tentatively) to do my thesis on literature after 9/11, so if you have read books, articles, poems, seen movies, etc. let me know!
In other news...Work is going well! The woman who was previously head of communications and marketing left on Wednesday, so the training is finished and the real work has begun! I have two e-newsletters to send out by the end of the month. I will send examples so that you have a better idea of what I'm doing :)
Time to get the flat prepared for me Mum (don't want her thinking we live like heathens!) Catch you laters gators!
1 comment:
Interesting stuff D, I hope your time in class isn't quite as upsetting as you make out though! A word on academic writing - you're right that reading should be pleasurable for everyone. In the same way as drinking should be pleasurable to everyone. But people like different tipples. Would you give a fine vintage port to a highschool kid and expect them to appreciate it? What they want is cheap cider, which is more fun at that age in my experience. Hope I don't count as a pretentious arse, and no, my writing is nothing like top-shelf, crystal decanter stuff, it's barely distilled! Whilst it would be great if your average Joe wanted to read professorial papers, in reality they don't, so I guess the writing just gets catered to the readership, that is, the extreme few. :( Anyway I hope you're enjoying your time here and that the novelty of our stoney, cold, miserable nation hasn't worn off yet! Why you'd want to come here I have no idea - when I visited Austin in you're neck o' the woods a couple years ago I felt I could stay forever -Blues, bars and chicken-fried steak! 'sighs longingly'. Oh well, laters gator :) Nic.
Post a Comment