The more papers, theses, and dissertations I review, the more I find myself yearning for the kind of theoretical literary intellectual wank-fest I used to engage in when I was in grad school. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t miss the deadlines or the stress of term paper time, but I do miss those group discussions when everyone bounced ideas around in class/behind the library/or around a cafe table. I miss deep, often pointless intellectual conversations where we all think we’re onto something truly original and inspired. And I miss theory. Good lord do I miss being able to think in theoretical terms and write up complex gobbledygook that makes me sound brilliant (or slightly mad). I also miss having heated debates on women’s issues and feminism. It’s been too long since I’ve been in an environment with women (or men for that matter) interested in discussing gender and society, whether literary or real, with some level of understanding. I love working with students, but sometimes I just crave a good conversation with someone like-minded and, let’s admit it, grown-up. Maybe I just miss adult conversation that does not involve work or relationships, that isn’t weighed down by the need to explain what I mean. Someone slap me with some information!
marginalia and such 