A Grad Student At Last

Before I get into my exciting news of graduate school, I want to register my ire that a Comcast van is most definitely parked outside my building, paying a visit to another customer within. Why, then, was I told nobody could come to my building until September 22 to work on my cable? If indeed it takes only 5 minutes for them to switch on the cable in the bedroom, surely he could pop next door from Ruth's apartment and turn mine on for me?

At any rate, I started classes this week. While the week was a hectic zoo full of administrative disasters, I definitely enjoy being back in the academic game. My first course is called Narratives of Teaching and Learning. It was so good to be analyzing literature again! The course involves reading memoirs of teaching, both successes and failures. We discussed how educators are typically demonized or deified in media today and the instructor sought a middle ground in the reading list. I love this course.

My other two classes are ok, but I can definitely tell the Teaching Narratives course will be my favorite.

I am definitely overwhelmed and excited with the upcoming literature conference at Pitt. Learn more about it here. It's called 412. Michael Ondaatje is coming to speak! And Mary Karr! Also, editors from major national publications (New Yorker!!) as well as local Pittsburgh media will be on site to speak with nonfiction students. As you can imagine, the New Yorker will meet me and immediately fire Susan Orlean once they see how much more interesting my writing is. You just wait.