Author Archives: AL

Here I go again. This time will surely be the last. I do as little as possible. I cram the assigned reading 20 minutes before class, just like the students. I wrote the syllabi after classes had already started. And … Continue reading →

Like many others, I’ve been contemplating the universe in utter despair after the shooting in Connecticut last week. I’ve spent far too much time imagining those teachers in the last moments of their lives, in the schools where they taught. … Continue reading →

I had just logged in to update this blog (finally) when I stumbled on Lauren’s brilliant post about the latest jobs report for PhDs. I especially like how she calls out M. Berubé for being clueless about the real problem … Continue reading →

Once again, the East Coast is recovering (barely) from a major hurricane. Sandy was far, far worse than Irene, last year’s superstorm. At least thirty-eight have died in NYC and millions have been displaced. Some have lost everything. Seems like … Continue reading →

Recently, I had coffee with a former supervisor from my academic days. It was very nice of her to want to meet up now that I am adjuncting again – temporarily. We used to work together rather closely on some … Continue reading →

I had decided to title this post, The Tyranny of the Thesis Statement. Then I Googled it and noted that someone else has already written that essay. Good for that guy! I am glad that I am not the only … Continue reading →

Well, what has Post-Academic In NYC been up to these many days? Lotsa stuff, what with three part-time jobs plus top-secret political activities to attend to (ha, they are not top secret at all). Good news is that I did … Continue reading →

This is a difficult post for me to write, which is why I have been stalling for days and days. The first thing I must say is that everyone is right. Djuna is right: I’m just a bit confused about … Continue reading →

This week I am temping again at The Skyscraper Office. It’s not that they like me; it’s that I’m the temp they know. This is the place where every person who steps off the elevator and sees the view for … Continue reading →

Before I was a glamorous temp, I was an adjunct or worked some academic “fellowship”-type jobs. I signed up for direct deposit and every couple of weeks some money would show up in my bank account and it was enough … Continue reading →