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I’m at an odd stage in my research and teaching life. Instead of doing a lot of quotidian things to pay the academic rent in hopes of being able to do a little cool research now and then, I’m actually teaching about witches (next class, familial ideals, familial discord and their bearing on witch accusations/convictions) and researching pirates as a type of non-state national actor in the early modern period.
It’s actually a little frazzling.
In ordinary circumstances, I can put in my time on the survey class and then steal some focused time away on my cool stuff. Now, though, I’m so interested in everything that it’s actually a little hard to know where to look first. I also have a research assistant to keep busy on the piracy work, so I’m having to learn how to be a good research director without giving up all my most interesting stuff (which I actually want to look at).
Anyway, I realized today that this is the kind of career I never could have anticipated in graduate school and it’s actually more personally rewarding than the R1 career we were urged to see as the pinnacle of academic success.
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bridgett:
I had thought you were consumed by everyday life, glad to see that you’re posting again.
Pirates and witches? What’s next, honest politicians?
It sounds like a great pair of subjects to study. See if you can work in a field trip to Salem, MA so you can steep yourself in the history of that era (and get some good corned beef hash at “Brothers” diner.
Comment by democommie September 27, 2010 @ 6:34 am