Amy and Joanna both tagged me with the “success” query, and I’m partial to Amy’s scare quotes around the word “success” regarding that prompt: list five things you do every day that contribute to “success.”
I don’t know about that word just yet. I’m a new PhD and a new assistant prof, and perhaps like (or unlike) other members of my graduating cadre, I remain uneasy, uncertain, ambivalent, worried about that term: don’t jinx me, I want to say. I’m not yet a success. Not by a long shot.
But here’s what I’ve tried so far.
- Teach. For me, five days a week. Before everything else, the pleasure of time spent in the classroom is the reward for my work. The pleasure of working with others on writing.
- Talk. I ask colleagues what they’re working on. I talk about what I’m doing. Talk about pedagogy; talk about scholarship. Collaborate.
- Write. I write it down. Blog it. Write through it. Take notes. Keep journals; take notes. Always carry a pen and something to write on. Always.
- Cook. Put things together in a pot. Experiment. Season. Eat. Repeat.
- Learn. I try to have a sense of the present state of the literature and what I’m unaware of. Have a sense of the gaps, both in the literature and in my knowledge. There’s a tension there: that sense of incompleteness is a source of anxiety, but also a condition of possibility.
Tagged, Belatedly
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