Sunday, October 24, 2010

Hard at Work

Reading When Harlem Was in Vogue: done
Starting The Warmth of Other Suns: done (this might take me a while since it's over 500 pages long)
Revising proposal: done
Next step: revise Chapter 1 for fellowships. Scary...

Will keep you posted!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Still reading: When Harlem Was in Vogue

Okay, chapter 2, "City of Refuge," is done. So now I have to assess whether there is more I need to read here or if I can move onto Wilkerson. I'm enjoying this read, since it offers me a different perspective on the Harlem Renaissance, but I also have to make the most of my time right now. I also have to work on my proposal, so I may focus on that on Thursday, and fit in a chapter of either Levering Lewis or Wilkerson. Little by little...

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Reading: David Levering Lewis, When Harlem Was in Vogue

It's surprising what reading a good book will do. I am still working on revamping my proposal, but I also am reading When Harlem Was in Vogue. So far I've read the two prefaces and Chap. 1. I am not sure yet if I'm gonna read the whole thing, or only the relevant chapters to my dissertation, but I am enjoying the read nonetheless. Tomorrow I have to get back to grading and working on my proposal, but I'm going to try to get some reading done. Nowadays I can only get a little done per day, and this takes some adjusting, but I'm slowly getting work done.

Earlier this week I ordered Isabel Wilkerson's The Warmth of Other Suns, which was published earlier this year. I am super excited about this one, and almost dropped grading in favor of a quiet afternoon of reading at school...but then I figured the grading had to get done at some point, hehe. I plan on starting that one after I'm done with Levering.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Gotta do something!

First off: Susan, this is great news! I'm glad you'll have less sections next year. That will make so much of a difference! And if they're all the same class, even better: just one class prep! :)

Second: I am about to run off to the living room and watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia with Mr. F, but I want to make sure I log in my work for today. Today I had hoped to invest time in my proposal and in reading, but it just didn't happen. As a result, I was finishing up with grades at 8:30 pm, and feeding Miss E. right after that. I hadn't gotten any reading done and was about to call it quits, but then I thought: I gotta do something. So I read the first few pages of David Levering Lewis's When Harlem Was in Vogue. I already have some ideas stewing and scribbled them on some post-its for tomorrow. Hey, something's something, right?

Good news!

Good news A) curling up again with Barry Lyndon B) sounds like I might get 3 sections instead of 5 come spring, just need to sort out what additional duties I'd take on in addition... Missing Liana, need my carol buddy!!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

The latest

So I am not done with Langston Hughes (and I have a new stack of papers to grade), but I decided to multitask and start working on my application. Working on my application counts as dissertation work, since I have to revamp the dissertation proposal and the VERY rough draft I have right now, so I'm not necessarily off track...at least that's what I tell myself. On the other hand, I am coming to terms with the fact that I probably won't stop grading until around Thanksgiving; my solution is to spread it out over several days to avoid the marathon sessions over two, three days. Those sessions just put me in an awful mood and I can't get any dissertation stuff done, so now I'm trying to manage my time better in order to make progress. Baby steps, I tell myself.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Struggling

Trying to keep eyes open through more of Barry Lyndon.  Recently figured out I'm working 53 hrs per week lately; wish I was one of those Superwomen who are brilliant 80+ hrs a week and could juggle these two roles with ease! Sadly my brain is being non-compliant.  Have a mtg with the administration tomorrow to request less sections for the spring... we'll see.... fingers crossed!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Goal for today

If I don't post it, I will continue to put it off: I will read up to to half of The Big Sea today. I'm on page 46, and I need to get to at least 167. So there. :)

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Reading and grading

Although I love teaching, when you have to grade that just throws off your whole schedule. Susan can attest to that. I did not finish grading last weekend, as I planned, so it spilled over to the week and I finished it Wednesday morning. Friday I got another stack of papers; those I'm hoping to do in spurts so I can get some reading done!

I am still working on reading Langston Hughes's autobiography The Big Sea in preparation for revising chapter 1. Even though I try to do my dissertation work on Tuesdays and Thursdays and class prep on weekends, I have to get the reading done over the next few days if I plan on getting back to work on that chapter for November. I feel a little weird about going back and reading what I wrote in February, but I have to. Gotta start somewhere, right? So I plan on finishing my read this week, and next weekend start with revision.

Susan, I hope you were able to finish up all your grading!