Sunday, August 12, 2007

Pre-Paris Plural Post

This is an unabashed filler post on a plurality of subjects because it's been over a month and a half since I posted anything here, and I'm not likely to post anything for another month. I have had all kinds of ideas for news-worthy posts over the past few months but have been enjoying summer too much to write them out.

I was going to write a chronicle of my two week trip to home province (880.8km on the rental car, which fortunately had unlimited km's because I basically circled the entire province in one week) followed by spa-like, relax-and-recharge time in the suburbs of major urban center. Much family drama was discussed and many litres of alcohol were consumed and it was all very wonderful, my best trip home ever (oddly emotionally fulfilling), and, well, major center is always a sure-fire hit.

I was going to write a theoretical post about presentism and my epiphany that I don't need to apologize anymore for not being a new historicist (even though every single blogger in early modern studies or Shakespeare on the entire web seems to be one!).

I was going to write a joyful post about my summer academic accomplishments, namely, finally finishing the first draft of my book proposal. I am so relieved to have a first draft written, and I have gotten positive feedback from the first of my three supervisors. Former supervisor #1 said that it's good enough to be sent off to the publisher now, and I spent the next 24 hours after that conversation on cloud nine. I am desperately eager to get feedback from the third supervisor, and eventually send the proposal to the editor, scratch it off my to-do list, and put it on my c.v. as "in submission" in time for job season. Unfortunately, even if I manage to do that, I still have to modify the form of this version substantially in order to send it out to my 2nd through 4th choices of presses, since each one wants the information presented in a different format. Plus, that initial joy at former supervisor #1's extremely positive and encouraging feedback has been deflated substantially by former supervisor #2's feedback which could be summed up as "your entire thesis is crap; start again from scratch". Supervisor #3's feedback, expected three weeks from now, will thus be determinate in whether or not the proposal gets submitted relatively "as is". I have zero desire to start again from scratch on the thesis of my diss/book and hold off on submitting my proposal before job season starts again.

So this is a mish-mash filler post before I jet off to Paris for a nice, long vacation while I'm on my way to England for a ridiculously short conference. I believe that conferences are like real estate: it's all about location, location, location! Not to mention stretching travel time as long as possible. I'm intending to post some (anonymous) photos of Paris when I get back...