On the defense

This Tuesday afternoon I am defending the prospectus for my dissertation.  I feel pretty confident, but your prayers would be appreciated nonetheless.  If I pass . . . then I get to do the whole rest of the dissertation.  Yay!

By the way, for those of you who have given up on my food blog, I finally posted again and promise that I won't be quite so lax.

5k

I've been trying to exercise regularly for some time now and it seems like I always just start to get going and then fall off the wagon when something comes up.  Well, I decided that to combat this I would sign myself up for a 5k.  This way I'm already committed and I have to run.  The thing that intimidates me is that the 5k that worked for me is the BYU homecoming 5k.  Not only is the course a bit challenging with its uphill portion, but the results of past races indicate that I'm likely to stand out from my peers in ways that I would rather not.  I'm a slow runner, but I run to finish.

Then it occurred to me that maybe some of you would like to come and beat me too.  The race is on October 11 and you can register here.  There's still time to train (about a month) and the race doesn't start until 9:45 for you Salt Lakers.  Either way, I'll be there.

My Gorgeous Graduate

Yes she still has that amazingly beautiful hair after more than 2 years of pulling it out over graduate classes, freshman English teaching, and a brilliant (and challenging) thesis.  Annalisa defended her thesis on Thursday and walked for graduation on Friday.  Although her graduation will be official in December, she is now finished with every requirement for her masters degree in English.  Check out the master's hood.

 

I'm sure that by now you all know how absolutely brilliant Annalisa is, but allow me a moment on this occasion to brag just a bit.  Anna has a passion that makes all of her work shine.  She has frequently come home from class so excited about the discussion they just had that she would bring me up to speed so that we could keep talking about it, sometimes for hours.  She can't help but become deeply concerned every semester when she has a student that is on a trajectory toward failing her class.  She consistently takes time to prepare great classes, even when she has other demands on her or could be doing something more enjoyable.

And then there is her thesis.  Rather than have you take my word for it I'll paste a copy of the abstract here (you'll have to talk to her about reading the whole thing).

My thesis proposes a theory of relational identity development in Chicana literature. Gloria Anzaldua's Borderlands/La Frontera offers an interpretation of Chicana identity that is largely based on historical models and mythology, which many scholars have found useful in interpreting Chicana literature. However, I contend that another text, Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street, not only illustrates the need for an alternative paradigm for considering identity development, but in fact offers such an alternative. I argue that Cisneros shows a model for relational identity development, wherein the individual develops in the context of her community and is not determined solely by elements of myth or genealogy.

In questioning the historical paradigm of identity development, I examine three key aspects associated with Chicana identity development: gender, home, and language. Employing the theories of Édouard Glissant, I discuss how individual identity development is better understood in terms of relationships and experience rather than historical models. For Chicanas, the roles of women have largely been interpreted as predetermined, set by the mythic figures La Malinche and La Virgen de Guadalupe. However, Cisneros's work shows that this historical tradition is less fruitful in understanding identity than recognizing individuals' experience in context of their relationships. With this communal understanding established, I question the common associations of home and Chicana identity. I argue that Cisneros challenges our very concept of home as she engages and counters the notions of theorist Gaston Bachelard. The idea of a house is metaphorical, becoming a space of communal belonging rather than a physical structure to separate individuals. Finally, I consider how both spoken and written language contribute to relational identity development. I argue that Cisneros's use of language demonstrates that not only does language provide the means for development within a community, but also the means for creation within that society. The theoretical implications of such a relational identity construct are not only an expansion of what is entailed in Chicana identity, but an invitation for broadening the community of theoretical discussion surrounding Chicana literature.

It's probably no surprise to you that she passed her defense with flying colors.  Her thesis chair even remarked later that the defense was fun, surely a sign (unless he's a sadist) that she has done a good job.

Anna, I'm so thrilled with you for reaching this great milestone.  You are a brilliant woman and you never cease to amaze me with your wit and insight.  I've seen the hours of hard work and dedication that have brought you to this point and I am so proud of you for never giving up and doing superb work despite some significant challenges along the way.  I love you immensely and offer you congratulations and honor for this fine accomplishment.  Annalisa Wiggins, MA . . . I like the sound of that!

Our Lady of the Hall Closet

Miracle of miracles!  Can it really be?  Yes, it seems that the virgin Mary has appeared on our closet door.  But wait, there's more.

 

It looks like she is in all of our closet doors.  That's quite a marketing ploy.  Just make a fake wood door and texture a pattern of wood grain that looks like the Virgin Mary and you'll have tons of Catholics buying your product.  Whatever.  Well, if anyone wants to come burn a candle at our house . . . don't.

We also have another person in our walls.  He's an old man made out of the rocks on our fireplace.



Can you see him?  It's a profile of his face looking to the left.  He has a big jowely cheek, a hook-nose and a tiny little chin.  I think he's pretty cool.  Does anyone else have people in their walls?

Life is Pietzsche (or "pleased to Mietzsche" for those who know how to correctly pronounce Nietzsche's name)

Sorry, we've been busy with research.  We'll be better . . . we promise. 

I'll be back soon with more substance, but in the meantime I want to introduce you to one of the most delightful webpages I've seen in some time.  It is the Nietzsche Family Circus generator.  It replaces the caption of a random Family Circus comic with a random Nietzsche quote.  Here's an example:

The visionary lies to himself, the liar only to others.

See what I mean?  Go there, refresh often, and enjoy.

For Dummies

As I have been working toward bringing the drafting portion of my master's thesis to a close (so looking forward to the beginning of that revising portion next week . . .), I came across an odd reference. Occasionally I will go to Amazon.com to verify publication information for a source that I have taken research from, but no longer have with me for my works cited list. Because I look up so many of these books, Amazon has started giving me recommendations based on my searches. Many of the recommendations are books related to Chicana literature, or even just literature in general. Today I came across one that really astounded me: The Complete Idiot's Guide to English Literature. My first concern is that here I am trying to assert myself as a master of something—literature and writing—and all the while Amazon is suggesting that perhaps I am just an idiot when it comes to literary matters. But even more disconcerting is this entire genre of "idiot's guides" and "for dummies" manuals.

First of all, why do we as a society feel the need to cater to this population? We don't publish more particular manuals for other subsets of our culture. Can you imagine someone writing a book called Understanding Nietzsche for Tall People? Or perhaps Computer Programming for the Toothless? Of course not. Yet I recall seeing titles like Aging Well for Dummies and Pregnancy and Childbirth for Dummies at a local pharmacy while I was waiting for a prescription. Seriously?! Not only are we trying to keep dumb people around longer, we're trying to get more of them? Jesting aside, aren't there some pretty basic books out there on that kind of stuff to educate people, not "for dummies"? 

This brings me to my next point—the horrible marketing scheme of such books. I guess this industry has been successful enough, but what does that say about the people buying the books? When I worked in publishing, the self-help books usually got panned from the outset because honestly, who was going to go up to the register and admit they needed to buy that kind of help in the first place? Now compound this with the tag "for dummies" on it. On the other hand, maybe we as a society don't mind so much having our intelligence so regularly insulted. That tactic won Bill Clinton the White House ("it's the economy, stupid"). Twice. I just have a hard time following the thought process that gets one of those books purchased in the first place. "Gee, I was going to just get this book about basic woodworking, but seeing as how I'm an idiot, I guess I'll get the one that says IDIOT real big on the cover . . ." Take it to the register, look the clerk in the eye and just admit, "Yes, yes. I am a dummy, which means I probably have no business being involved with whatever this book is going to try to teach me. Nevertheless, being an idiot, I can hardly trust my own judgment. Please, take my money."

Note: I use the terms "idiot" and "dummy" synonymously here; some of you may have more nuanced differences in your particular definitions.

Truly, this whole genre seems incongruous to me. Trying to explain complex subjects to people self-labeled as idiots is like . . . stupid (oh, where's that pocket Similes for Dummies when you need it?). And futile. Perhaps dangerous, even. Most of these topics are things we really don't want idiots tampering with. Consider some of these titles (all genuine, available for purchase):

AP English Literature & Composition for Dummies—how did dummies get into AP English?

Home Buying for Dummies—might explain the current housing market

Foreclosure Investing for Dummies—now I get it . . .

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dating—do we really want to let that loose on society?

The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Middle East Conflict—so that's what happened . . .

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Ethics—oh, dear

Politics for Dummies—wait, maybe this one could help

Blogging for Dummies—doh!

The GRE Test for Dummies—good luck there

Philosophy for Dummies—how is that possible?

Puppies for Dummies—pathetic in its own special way

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Street Magic—I think "idiot" is implied, you don't need to include it in the title

Calculus for Dummies—really? Really?I'm amazed they could get a whole book out of that one actually. Seems like a simple note would suffice: "If you're a dummy, you're out of your league. Put the book down and back away, slowly. . . . Right foot. Now left foot. Right foot again. Atta boy."

Chess for Dummies—yeah, we already have that. It's called checkers.

Dissertating till the break of dawn

I'm busy.  Come back later.

For now . . . enjoy these:

How many graduate students does it take to change a light bulb?

One, but it will take him 10 years.

How many therapists does it take to change a light bulb?

Just one, but the bulb has to really want to change.

How many bureaucrats does it take to change a light bulb?

10 to form the committee for the changing of light bulbs, one to requisition $10,000 per light bulb, and one to screw the bulb into the kitchen faucet.

How many kids with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) does it take to
change a lightbulb?

Hey! Do you wanna go ride bikes?

How many narcissists does it take to change a light bulb?

One to hold the bulb while the world revolves around him.

How many gay people does it take to change a light bulb?

None.  The bulb shouldn't have to change if it doesn't want to.

How many existentialists does it take to change a light bulb?

Two: One to screw it in and one to observe how the light bulb itself
symbolizes a single incandescent beacon of subjective reality in
a netherworld of endless absurdity reaching out toward a cosmos of
nothingness.

How many boring people does it take to change a light bulb?

Just one.

Do you guys know any more good ones?