ExpectationSo I had to go to this writing workshop today, and I was extremely unexcited about it. Last year, I had to go to one of these things. I had to listen to a self-important English professor talk to a group of philosophers about how to incorporate writing into the classroom and into the syllabus. I was talked
at, and not
to, and these things were
requirements not
suggestions. I got to listen to him talk smack about philosophy and philosophers to my face. What a great and open environment in which to learn about writing and teaching of writing! Ugh. I still have a grudge against this guy to this day. He thinks that all philosophers are needlessly argumentative slackers, and mentions this in his English classes. Now, based upon my department, those are not entirely unbased criticisms. But to broadcast this as the sterotype of every philosopher here is both untrue and offensive. (*He even teaches Modernism, and is into Eliot and Pound and such - cats I happen to dig. I wonder now if self-importance and arrogance are attached to teaching Modernism - but that's another question entirely.)
So due to this dumbass pedant, I was down on this writing workshop. And then I started reading the packet of articles provided for me. Some were quite happy fluffy...which rubbed me a bit wrong at first. Care Bears don't teach philosophy classes, after all. But then as I worked through more of the materials, I saw ways to incorporate little things into my work and my syllabus based upon some of the ideas I found in this packet. There were pieces of substantial material to be culled from the fluff, it turns out.
When I went to the sessions today, things were really upbeat and positive and about experimentation and implementation of techniques...trying things out, seeing what works for you and for the group in your class (depending on the makeup of the group). It was interesting and I actually
liked both people running the sessions. It was a good experience, and I might do some work with the "Writing Studio" that they are creating. It sounds fun and productive at the same time.
So here's to expectation.
And here's to being pleasantly surprised.
What's Going On? Why Do I Feel So Strange?So after the exam and chilling out a couple of days...well, I hung out with JT who just got back from Africa. We went out to see the Alcohol Stunt Band perform in East Nashville...there were new songs! there were relatives! there were stunts! And I got to catch up with some old friends. We were out till 4 am and we all got pretty shitty but not in a bad way.
I also caught up with M. who's gotten back from Germany. We went to a show on Thursday...when I started feeling kinda funny. Well, really it was Wednesday night when things got a bit, er, funny. I'd been doing laps at the gym, and my head was kinda cloggy feeling, and so when I woke up Thurs, it was awful. I tried to go do my radio show, and I felt incoherent and very odd. I was sick! Or my allergies were acting up! I still don't know which. After I drove home from my show, I layed on my couch and watched bad daytime tv. That was Thurs / Fri / Sat mostly, and I was moving about on some of these days, but tried to put my energy back together. I was really confused -- but I hadn't been sick since October, so I had no idea what was going on.
I'm feeling a bit better now, but not tip top yet. I think it's allergies. It's something.
