2026 Session 1, Week 3

Hope everyone had a good week, and that those in the US are not affected by the storms. Here in the UK it is dismal, but nothing out of the ordinary for January.

This week's writing prompt, from In Writing, is: where do ideas come from? How do you choose what to research and write about? And how and when do you know if an idea will bear fruit? I'm curious to see how that works in different disciplines. Is is about, in the words of one of Hattie Crisell's interviewees, about 'connecting two disparate things'? Is it about accidentally stumbling on something - in an archive, in a text, an unexpected result of an experiment?

Last week's goals

Dame Eleanor

--2 hours writing/research on each of 3 days
--meet with TAs
--tackle teaching report for annual review
--add time estimates to list of class prep items
--prep for my class and for a guest class
--write one letter of recommendation; advise on another student's statement of purpose
--process grad applications (6?) and read PhD exam essays
--3 hours on garage
--remember to look at calendar/lists every day

Julie

1. Finish finding examples for Big Article (2 days, but working around meetings).
2. Start on review article (1 day).
3. Work on local history chapter (1 day).
4. Chase mentee.
5. House/life admin: tax return, other financial stuff if time, more summer trip planning, four January birthdays, decluttering if time.
6. Self-care/fun: read, exercise, journal, maybe plant bulbs at weekend, text friend.

Heu mihi

1. Read over essay and figure out next steps
2. Schedule a couple of meetings with student groups
3. Work out goals and plans for the coming semester/year
4. Sit some amount
5. Read a dissertation chapter (two, if I really get into it)
6. 35 pages of Italian

Susan

1. Finish and post the syllabus
2. Survive the start of classes chaos week
3. Letter of recommendation
4. Send notes to students I will interview for admission to my undergrad alma mater
5. Send various emails
6. House: Deal with the Room of Doom
7. Select upholstery fabric for chair (still dithering)
8. Do fun things
9. Continue not looking at my iPad before bed, and reading instead.
10. Keep up with exercise, physical therapy

JaneB

SELF-CARE: all process goals, for three term time months:
a) intentional movement 20x3 or 15x4
b) some kind of making (art or craft) x2
c) something gently social x2
d) read at least one chapter (of fiction) every day this week
IMPROVING MY ENVIRONMENT: goals carried over!
a) 75% of weekly list of chores
b) make a sketch for the new idea for the shelving in living space
TEACHING AND ADMIN:
a) finish third year grading and mark bits with extensions
b) prepare class materials for second week of teaching - some fairly substantial revision needed this year
RESEARCH
a) lead meeting, write up plan, for lead author paper
b) chase up emails sent out before Christmas for grant application
c) read and reply to email from Unexpected Collaborator