After blowing my reserves on the Grad Compendium in June, I have noticed that I have been decidedly less enthusiastic about blogging the last few months. Part of the reason may be the fact that in the summer time, I've got longer chunks of time to devote to bigger projects, and I've been plugging away at a bunch of them. Certainly part of it is that I'm spending a great deal more time exercising, which comes with its own rewards, endorphins and weight loss and all. And part of it is that after four years of blogging, without much fanfare or huge reader numbers, I'm watching more and more folks pop onto the academic blogosphere and wax lyrical or amazed or creative or whatever about something that I've read about twelve times since I joined this community.
Oh, I'm not going anywhere, at least not right now, and I think academic blogging still has a great deal of use value, especially for grad students and new faculty who have so much information sharing and demystifying to do. And I actually feel like leaving the blog behind would be to leave behind friends for no real reason.
But right now, I feel like the blog needs a sense of purpose, and since I'm hardly the wittiest writer out there, and I'm not on anyone's brilliant blogger lists, and I'm not so politically plugged in to be using this space to activate citizens, that I've remained for this much time, another young professor adding to the wealth of narratives in cyberspace.
Anyway, the semester starts next week, and I'm busily copying syllabi and handouts, setting up WebCT spaces, reading ahead, and doing my annual report, so maybe Labor Day will roll around and this space will be popping with extra good stuff. But for now, I'm going to content myself with going back and checking out some of my better posts (and maybe resurrect some goodies from the old blog space) to remind myself why I like this activity, and lurking around other folks' spaces.
This psot is rambling on like a self-pitying wreck, so I'll just close up shop for tonight, and say that hopefully, I'll be back on board soon. See you around.
6 comments:
I like your posts, pretty much anything and everything you have to write. Though I can see that you might want more readers if world domination is your goal.
But, blogging, like any hobby, has its active bursts and its lulls. Perhaps a vacation will leave you refreshed.
You know what I think you've been especially good at recently -- and which makes you fairly distinctive? Answer: writing about masculinity, either theoretically or experientially. You're good at other stuff, too, but those posts are something I haven't seen elsewhere (though I may just be reading the wrong blogs).
So maybe more of that? Just a thought.
And I'd like to hear more about your thoughts on drama as having more potential for education and social change than other genres (at least, I think I'm recalling something you said). There aren't a lot of academic/lit bloggers writing about drama that I know of.
Just my 2 cents.
Funny, I've been having a similar four-year blog malaise. Guess it comes with the territory. But I've found myself with less to blog about film-wise in part because I don't have time, but also because I'm less connected to the film world than I was in DC.
I've also been involved with my own weight-loss regimen (down 19 lbs since July 15), but that's taken a relatively small amount of time and energy. In fact, I'm a little more likely to blog after I run.
Sisyphus, I AM bent on world domination, though, can't you see?!?!?
Dr. V. Actually I've been thinking about posting more on masculinity and performance more, and since I'm teaching a drama undergrad class, I'll be talking about that too...Do note: I'll be checking in with you on advice about teaching 2nd Shepherd's...
Chuck, maybe it's a 'herder's thing...also, damn! 19 pounds in a month! I was proud of 21 over the whole summer!
Oh, I'm glad ---- I thought I was the only one with world-domination goals! (We may have to divide the world like that papal order designating everything between these two parallels for Spain's colonization, and everything between these for Portugal. Ultimately, it will end up with a mano-a-mano duel for the world where one of us gets our hand chopped off while screaming "Nooooo! You're not my father!" and then ---- Oh, wait. Never mind.)
Do note: I'll be checking in with you on advice about teaching 2nd Shepherd's...
No problem!
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