Welcome to the set of TLQ: The Movie, starring participants as themselves. By the way, don't forget to check out the artist Heu Mihi's house book, on display downstairs!
Cut!
Take two. Welcome to Top Left Quadrant: The Movie, directed by Dame Eleanor Hull, assisted by Daisy, and starring most other participants as themselves. Some weeks we'll be in the studio and at times we'll go on location, so be prepared to hit the road! Metaphorically speaking, of course.
Scheduling details: We'll have the final check-in on 16 December, midterm check-in on 28 October (so long as the appropriate underling remembers to set it up), and will make next week the official first weekly goal-setting post. Make-up and costuming---that is, introductions and setting session goals---can start now.
As a theme question this week, what essential items are you stars going to demand to have in your trailers, for when you're there taking a break rather than on-set? We'll send the interns out to go shopping---where's the set manager?
Cut!
Get the set manager over here to collect shopping lists and talk to the interns about organizing the travel trailers. Also the assistant producer---what are you people doing, anyway? We need to make the stars feel at home so they'll look relaxed and natural when they're talking on camera! That doesn't mean crew gets to relax! But we'll take a break before we try for take three. Or maybe we should just leave in the question---I'll look at the rushes later.
Opening text, adapted from earlier iterations!
The format will be the same as ever. We will start setting goals for the session this week. Goals can be in any aspect of life, although the key focus is often writing tasks that are personally and professionally important but that never quite tip over into important AND urgent. Urgent things sometimes find their way in here too; that is completely okay, and process goals are also most welcome. Each week there will be a discussion topic or prompt to write about if you feel so inclined, but skip it (sulk in your trailer!) if you don't feel like it. We’ll remind everyone of their big session goals about midway through the session, so we can do re-takes as necessary, or let some footage hit the cutting-room floor, before it's the last minute.
Anyone, whether new to the group or an old friend, is welcome to join. I would love for people to consider inviting a friend or acquaintance or colleague to join in: we would be thrilled to welcome new guests and expand our circle. And finally, don't worry if you miss a few check-ins. Life happens. This is a supportive, generous space with no intimidation factor so enjoy it! If you are not up to regular check-ins we would still love to hear from you occasionally.
Greetings! I'm a late-career medievalist (English lit), working on a book and trying to avoid looking at any new! shiny! objects; I'm married to Sir John, and we have two cats (down from a one-time high of five).
ReplyDeleteSession goals:
- join a gym, work out regularly, also regular yoga at home
- finish two partially-written chapters
- write an abstract (at least) for a conference paper
- keep up with teaching prep and grade in a timely manner
- organize conference travel
- make progress on house/unpacking projects
- cheer on my fellow TLQers!
Looking forward to working with our fantastic director for this session!
DeleteShiny objects are the best...
Nooooo! I can't! I mustn't! Must.finish.book.
Deleteshiny shiny shiny...
DeleteYou temptresses! Actually, the conference paper abstract is a sort of new shiny object, or maybe a very old and long-neglected object that is likely to become newly attractive when it's cleaned up a little.
DeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteI’m Daisy, an early-ish mid-career prof in a physical science field. I am starting my second year in at a wonderful small university with excellent undergraduate and graduate degrees in my field after moving institutions last summer. Two cats, one teenager, one work-from-home partner, and a house that still needs a lot of work after the move!
Session Goals:
Write major grant application
Make progress on one local paper, one student paper, and one giant collaborative paper, and by progress I mean submit at least two out of three
Exercise consistently
Have regular fun with kid
I've been to a conference at your new uni---it seemed like a lovely place! "Two cats" is starting to sound like a theme here. The assistant producer, or whatever you are, probably needs a lot of coffee, so we'll make sure you have that available while the filming demands run you ragged. :-)
DeleteOh yes please ALL the coffee! The roastery down the street from my building has the good stuff... So coll that you've been here!
DeleteGreetings! I'd like my trailer to have a supply of tea and wine; I also want a personal masseuse.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's not happening? Sigh. Back to work.
I'm Susan, a late career history professor at a new-ish university in the unsexy part of the left coast. I chair our graduate program, and I also chair a campus committee and am often a go-to person for help, which as a very senior person, I try to give.
In my daily life, I am a widow, and until her death last May, was the nearest person for my mother, so I'm still picking up the pieces from that. I live in an old house with two cats who both want to be only children.
I have two research projects which are close to finishing (YAY?). The first is Famous Author a short book for a general audience about a writer you have heard of. The second is Big Collaboration, a collaborative history of my period with 31 contributors, who were supposed to submit final drafts last Friday. There are I think 3 or 4 first drafts we have not seen. THe whole kit and kaboodle is to be submitted to the press at the end of March.
Session Goals:
1. Survival - right now the term seems overwhelming, so if I'm in one piece on December 16, it will be a success. (I'm teaching 2 classes, have a lot of travel, and the admin load is heavy right now.)
2. Famous Author: Finish my revisions (hopefully by the mid-semester check in. The goal is to send it back to my editor and get it to a press at the start of the new year.
3. Big Collaboration: Read all drafts, work with co-editor on drafting introduction.
4. Do something fun on a regular basis - with friends, or watch movies or something.
5. Continue regular exercise / healthy eating / adequate sleep
Welcome back! Red wine or white? Black, green, white tea? Herbal? You know what interns are like; we'll have to be very specific about types, and brands if you have a preference there. Welcome back!
DeleteBlack tea (with milk) and red wine please :)
DeleteAlso, can we see heu mihi's house book? Did I miss it at the end of last session?
ReplyDeleteShe put up a separate post! It's the one immediately preceding this one. Definitely not to be missed! http://topleftquad.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-house-book-in-pictures.html
DeleteI'm Julie. I'd like my trailer to have excellent strong coffee, fancy teas and expensive wine, depending on the time of day. If the wine comes with some cheeses that somehow manage to taste wonderful without being bad for me, even better. And please can I also have a masseuse?
ReplyDeleteI'm an associate professor in history at a university in the north of England, where I mainly teach very bright, but often either anxious or entitled undergraduates, and a few graduates. I am trying to get my research back on track after a long hiatus. I am a widowed single parent to a 15 year-old daughter and a 12 year-old son. No pets currently, though I am always happy to see cat pictures!
Session goals:
1. Write grant application.
2. Make some progress on writing a journal article.
3. Do revisions to another journal article.
4. Try to be on top of teaching rather than overwhelmed by it.
5. Work on some house projects.
6. Try to get regular exercise, more sleep, eat healthily.
7. Do something fun each week.
I think we'll have to get an on-site massage therapist, though let's try not to let those appointments interfere with filming. Or maybe we can have some shots of stars getting massages, perhaps while talking about their research or travel---that might make for good scenes! [Scribbles note.] Welcome back! We'll get the coffee, teas, and wines on the shopping list.
DeleteOh, the wine and cheese party sounds great!
DeleteHi, I'm JaneB. I'd like my trailer to have a large comfortable sofa for napping on, a supply of novels, a range of craft supplies (spatters of paint and threads of yarn are part of my look along with the cat hair), and some good goats cheese, beef tomatoes and olives to go along with my current level of whining. And chocolate, Just In Case.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Reader in a STEM-adjacent discipline in a regional university which is once again reorganising, I'm thoroughly knocked off balance by the stresses and demands of the last few years, and I am having a bit of a after-mid-life-crisis. Modern academe and I may no longer be able to live together and I greatly resent that! I live with a sweet natured cat who converts food into fluff so rapidly that it seems to have replaced most of his braincells.
I almost 100% teach undergraduates, many of whom are not typical healthy 18 year olds living on campus, and whose abilities cover a vast range. We team teach a lot here and one of my favourite colleagues has been replaced in one of my teams by someone who has been out of the classroom for nearly 6 years and who was a bit of a patronising so-and-so who believed we should all be grateful to have a job which "isn't boring like accountancy" before he was seconded to senior research leadership in the Faculty. So that should be fun - my ability to tolerate things like that has just about vanished since COVID, and boy have the needs and expectations of students changed over those years. My research is... a mess. As in, it doesn't feel like there is any time for slow thinking or to poke around in my interests, and yet I am always scrambling.
Session goals - are not very well thought out. September snuck up on me and caught me all unprepared!
1. Self-care. The boring practical stuff that needs to happen because if it goes right it makes everything else easier. Just to feel that I'm consistently touching on each of the important areas regularly would be great.
2. Teaching. The bread and butter of my actual job. Survival will do here, defined as being ahead in prep and not having caused too much havoc via migraines, sick leave* etc. (or if I do end up on sick leave, that I keep my nose OUT of teaching!)
3. Research. Keep things ticking along - immediate goals are to submit three papers this session to journals (all are already well underway), help to organise a workshop in January, and apply for money for a grad student.
4. Admin. I have a fair amount spread across 4 named roles, and I want to keep it and shed teaching rather than the other way around (although the "help" I get offered from my department is definitely the other way around), partly because I can do it in a much more sustainable way in terms of my personal energy budget.
5. Fun. Necessary for self-care but also just necessary. I like to make things, mess around with art stuff, read, and play D&D. Getting back into doing all of those things fairly often was this summer's win, and I want to try & maintain that.
*sick leave mentioned because, well, I'm really burnt out again and someone I spoke to for intake to another medical service asked why I wasn't on sick leave because it sounded necessary... also because it's ten days to the start of freshers' flu season! Not just pessimism.
**and, update - still not getting on with ADHD meds, plus my office move has been postponed until "sometime between now and December" with no actual room specified, and I HAVE to keep the door open at all times when in my current office due to unspecified Issue which meant I had to move in the first place. Which really does not help with my protect-Jane-against-viruses-especially-SARSCoV2 strategy... this is really bugging me...
Sorry, everyone wrote such nice concise posts... cheese anyone?
DeleteSorry to hear the meds are not settling down yet - there is so much trial and error involved in things like that. I hope it looks up soon! You office and all the not-moving stuff is a legit disaster!
DeleteMy post was only concise because I was frantically writing course outlines and opening lectures the night before the first day of classes while chugging tea :) You'd think I would know better, but I decided to change a bunch of stuff and then forgot about study week, and found an extra pubic holiday to accommodate... so yeah... it was close....
Excellent details about your appearance and tastes! This will be great for filming. Sending a note to Costuming now . . .
DeleteI forgot about the need for a sofa, not sure why, since we got a long email yesterday about the things we *COULD NOT* have in our offices, including sofas, comfortable chairs, rugs, etc. THE FIRE MARSHALL INSISTS>
DeleteSorry to hear you're burned out and that the meds aren't settling yet. Fingers crossed things get better. I am in the process of moving office, and it has eaten up so much time so far, time I really didn't have to spare! New office is quite nice and bright, but remains to be seen whether or not I can fit everything in...
DeleteOooh I couldn't handle not having a sofa in my office! It's necessary for naps. I also have a rug. Thank goodness no one pays any attention to my crummy old Brutalist building.
DeleteI really hope that the term picks up for you, Jane! An unspecified office move mid-term is just preposterous.
Introductions: I'm a mid-career medievalist at a research-oriented university in the Northeastern US. I have a husband (who is looking for a new job), an 11-year-old, and two young tabby cats.
ReplyDeleteWell, this week is already getting away from me: We started back up with classes on Tuesday, and my new admin position (program director, which is below the real department chair but requires organizing 10 faculty and working with the graduate program director to keep track of a bajillion graduate students who teach for us) involves a lot of email and impromptu meetings, at least at the moment. And then we learned this afternoon that my father-in-law (age 89) died last night. So that's sort of thrown things off.
So this semester, I'm teaching one (new) class, which should be quite manageable; conducting an independent study with a very eager undergrad who's actually interested in my field!!!!; taking third-semester Italian; and starting this new admin gig. Also trying to make good headway on my book project. I'm going to try to keep my goals fairly clean and concise:
1) Finish chapter 4
2) Revise/tie up loose ends for chapters 1-3
3) Plan chapter 5 and/or 6
4) Apply for a grant (deadline 9/20)
5) Write a book review for a book that I have already read (due in November sometime)
6) Write and submit 2 conference abstracts
7) Keep things moving with this festschrift that I am now co-editing (we're in the very early stages, so that basically means coming up with an idea for the chapter that I would want to write and keeping track of who has agreed to contribute).
8) I'm also trying to keep my exercise up, answer emails promptly, and sit daily (weekdays).
German and Latin may need to take a back seat this term.
Oh, so sorry about your father-in-law. Sending you and the family good thoughts. It's hard in many ways.
DeleteAnd sympathies about the week getting away from you. I feel as if I've been behind since the semester started two weeks ago.
I'm sorry to hear about your father-in-law. Will this involve travel? It sounds like you already had a pretty full plate.
DeleteSo sorry about your father in law - I hope eevrything goes smoothly as possible
DeleteI'm sorry to hear about your father-in-law. A loss is hard, and also takes up a lot of time and energy/brain-space -- so, doubly hard at the beginning of the semester.
DeleteThanks, all. My husband will go to the homestead next week (it's about 6-7 hours away). I think that the memorial will be timed to coincide with a holiday; we're pushing for Thanksgiving instead of Christmas, since odds are good that Husband will have a new pastoral job by Christmas (fingers crossed...).
DeleteSo sorry about your father-in-law. Thinking of you.
ReplyDeleteI’m Cassandra, a late-career full-time, non tenure track teacher of mostly composition at a large state university in a “purple” (politically mixed) east coast US state. My research specialty in 19th-century American literature, with an emphasis on antislavery authors. I teach a 4:4 load, and am rejoining after several years when teaching (and other stuff) got pretty overwhelming. I’m in the process of gradually restarting a research/writing program (which is not officially part of my job) and also trying to address some “infrastructure” issues (current state of my studio apartment; continuing an exercise program) that will hopefully generate energy and clear brain space for more writing and research in the future. So a lot of the work for this session falls in the planning/applying/getting things organized category.
ReplyDeleteA well-stocked trailer is sounding pretty appealing right now, since this was the summer a bunch of things in my apartment broke. The good news is that I can afford to replace them; the bad news is that the task has snowballed a bit, since cabinets need to be moved to accommodate different-size appliances, this is a chance to stop up holes behind said appliances, etc., etc. And for various reasons I need to do at least some of the work myself. So at the moment I have a refrigerator that is functioning as an old-fashioned icebox, cupboards emptied onto surfaces in the living/dining/sleeping room, etc., etc. And classes have started.
So I just might want to move into that trailer for a while. At the very least, I’d appreciate a steady supply of tea (hot black and iced green, preferably with mint), whole milk, and cheese, fruit, and nuts for snacks while we’re on site. A bit of dark chocolate is always welcome, too (as JaneB says, just in case).
Goals for the session:
Professional:
--Keep up with teaching, especially feedback (I’ve got 4 sections on two different calendars this semester, both repeats; keeping up with feedback is always the challenge). There will definitely be weeks when this is all or pretty much all I can do.
--Complete contract renewal packet (I’m on 5-year contracts; this is the renewal year. My materials are due in under a week, and I’m nearly done, so this will be an early but crucial “win”).
--Complete study leave application (we just got study leaves for non-tenure-track faculty last year, and there’s limited funding, so competition is stiff)
--Identify/apply as appropriate for other possible sources of funding for current research project (the role of slaveholding in the history of the church to which I belong) (I need to figure out whether actually applying is a good use of time/energy at this stage in the project; also need to figure out what would happen if I got partial funding, since my institution is very resistant to the idea of course reductions for NTT faculty, though some of my colleagues do have them).
Household:
--Replace refrigerator (including associated cabinet-moving and hole-patching)
--Get all the plumbing working at once (next up: replace kitchen faucet. Also on the docket: hire plumber to fix/replace shower taps.)
--Plan/implement other work as time/energy allows (this could include ordering/assembling/painting some additional cabinets, shelves, and doors; getting estimates for counter replacement; replacing stove; replacing flooring; additional hole-patching).
Personal:
--Keep moving: continue stretching program, restart lifting weights, restart walking, take a last swim or two if there are weekend pool hours.
--Keep in regular touch with friends and family, especially young-adult nieblings
Good to meet you, Cassandra. Wow, that's a lot of house projects - good luck with those.
DeleteIt's so good to see you back here Cassandra! WELCOME!!! :D
DeleteYes, welcome back! It's great to have you among us again.
DeleteGood to meet you, Julie, and thank you, JaneB and Dame Eleanor. It's good to be back!
DeleteGood to see you, Cassandra! Hello!!
Delete