Listen here
A more personal & confessional podcast where I chat about the struggles at my work.
Music along the way:
Grizzly Bear – Cheerleader (2009)
Menahan Street Band – Make The Road By Walking (2008)
Miles Davis & Gil Evans – The Pan Piper (1959)
Moby - Shot In The Back Of The Head (2009)
the bored beyond belief listener’s phone line: 206-203-1930
Tags: Academia, Every day life, Personal, podcast
September 18, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Joe, I’m sorry you’re feeling this way. I just want to remind you that every junior faculty member has these despairing and panicky thoughts over the “odds” in their profession. You are actually dealing with the stress very well–you’re not acting out all over the place, for example. Usually these academic hoops have nothing to do with merit; it’s mostly a crapshoot. Academia encourages people to think long term, but there’s no professional long term or certainty in this economy. Anything can change, including the tenure system or publishing requirements. Finally, if you lose your job you better come back to L.A. toot suite.
September 18, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Hey, T., my faithful occasional leftie, LA, Latina, lesbian co-host.
Yeah, I know it’s pretty typical for junior faculty. I think it’s part of the water-boarding tradition in academia. And I agree that this whole tenure process is a dinosaur that is on it’s last leg. It’s untenable and arbitrary. What will replace it might be worse of course, But it should be interesting to see what that something is…
Kisses galore!
October 8, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Joe, hang in there! It was a great accomplishment to get your Doctorate. I’m a slow reader and I keep trying to talk myself into just getting a Master’s degree.
This is situation at the college is just one battle. I’m rooting for you and I know you can make it happen!
October 10, 2009 at 12:56 am
Thanks, JW. My attitude is much better since I posted this podcast, but the encouragement is always welcomed.
October 22, 2009 at 12:19 am
Joe, Marvin says he will pray for you. My partner Glen says he will hold you in the light. Elizabeth Jeremiah says that if life hands you lemons, make lemonade. And if that doesn’t work then plead the blood of the Lamb. What do I have to say? I am glad we are friends. I respect your humility and your intelligent, your passion and your warmth (even though you rebuffed my advances years ago. What were you thinking???)
xxoo
p
October 22, 2009 at 11:57 am
Thanks, Peterson. Marvin’s prayers are probably the most important ingredient here.
As far as your “advances” – dear God, when did you stop ever advancing!?!
November 4, 2009 at 10:12 am
Dear Joe,
It’s weird how much power our jobs have, they can consume us. I suggest to you that “failure” is not defined by the narrow group that surrounds you in your comparatively new job in academia or by a system that takes very little of you into account. I don’t know what your degrees are in, but I suspect there is more than a few things that you are qualified to do, and that you would do any one of those things well.
Hey, and while I am at it, what’s with this bs about being an “old queen?!” Geez, you talk like you have one foot in the grave. Take up yoga and discover just how much life you have in you. I have three years on you but had a couple of teen aged boys whistle at me the other day at the mall. Go figure, lol.
Seriously Joe, you are an accomplished and fantastic person, don’t let the crazy circumstances of life tell you otherwise.
cheers,
lowercasepaul
November 4, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Hey, paul,
What a kind and thoughtful response. You’re so right about the “world of work” and academia in particular. I am aware of my own abilities and qualifications, but sometimes that’s also easy to forget.
The reference to the “bitter old queen” is meant tongue-in-cheek: the stereotype of the “old” (over 40) gay man who must, of course, be “bitter” and is, of course, some “queen” to be laughed at.
Good to read that you had a few young guys whistle at you. Peterson told me he recently had a young man flirt up a storm with him. I must be walking down the wrong streets these days!
Thanks for listening and your comments (as always)!