1.24.2010

Quick and to the Pointless

I'm not really sure what I ought to blog about these days. In the past, the blog was there mostly to inform friends who live far away about my comings and goings in California. For a while after I started the program here at the UC to the SC, a good-sized group of my fellow grads were also blogging regularly, and it was a fun kind of intellectual collective to participate in as we bitched about classes and professors and the absence of hope or justice in the universe. Everything is quite a bit more diffuse now, with fewer friends updating their blogs and fewer comments on posts, leaving me with the feeling of spitting words out into the ether.

There's also the circumstantial changes, most importantly the imminent end, or at least hiatus, of my academic career. The famously awful job market for historians hit the KFR household pretty hard this year; one of the jobs I applied to, in a backwater in Wisconsin, had over 160 applicants. That's over 160 people with PhDs, many with published articles or books, many with post-doctoral positions, many with bigger names on their letters of recommendation than I have. Even if the situation improves in the next few years, I have absolutely no interest in going through this meat grinder over and over.

There's also the fact that I'm going to be a dad in about three months. At that point, I will have way bigger fish to fry than worrying about whether or not anyone cares about the intellectual legacy of Andre Gorz.

Anyway, I think I'll just keep plugging away with this thing, probably just a little less frequently.

P.S. I had a nice trip to Oregon recently and saw lots of lovely, wonderful people.
P.P.S. The pregnancy is going really well.
P.P.P.S. I am totally going to finish my dissertation on time.

7 comments:

Elizabeth M. said...

I wonder if fairly soon the blog will fade from grad school diaries to dad diaries. I'll be reading no matter what.

another kind of nerd said...

I second that.

ninjahq said...

Just for saying's sake, I appreciate this insight into your life - even if I don't comment very much :)

Placeholder said...

I always read and enjoy everything you write. Don't let the bastards keep you down, sir!

Kelly said...

I read loyally - in fact it's the discovery of google reader that keeps the reading in check but actively discourages commenting - I mean, I have click on the link, and then go to the comments... so much work!

noncoupable said...

I love your blog. Please don't stop. BTW if you want some more rambling blogs to add to your list, http://rootlesspeople.blogspot.com is my latest and less depressing attempt. ifeelreallytiny.blogspot.com was getting too depressing.

Dolce Vita said...

Amen to all that!

(By the way, I'll be sure to show you who is the greatest Robber Baron when I see you next!)