thatjewishgirl

LOL. I like how you completely dismissed my suggestions about English programs I have degrees from.

you might look into Oklahoma State Univ. and University of Oklahoma for Native American lit.

I have to say, Louisiana people are NICE. (coming from the oh-so-cosmopolitan Oklahoma) I called a few realtors and in almost no time hit upon a man who owns an entire block of houses within walking distance to LSU. He told me he had a property coming up that would be perfect for us (a couple with dogs) and he was willing to rent it to me. He said his houses go quickly because they're so close to campus, but he held it for me, sent me a lease, and we sent it out to him right away to secure the house for the end of July. He only rents to grad students and young professionals, so the neighboorhood is relatively quiet. I unfortunately had to rent it without seeing it, but he did send me copious pictures of the inside and outside. It's an older, 1940s house and the kitchen is being completely redone before we move in. it has a fenced in backyard for the dogs and the rent couldn't be better. He decided not to charge me a pet deposit because I'm a girl - "A girl needs her dogs when her husband isn't home." Gosh darn it, I love the south. Maybe his statement is questionable, but whatever, I have three dogs.

you know, I would love to feel more valued! Even a little! Apparently I'm only valued at $600/credit hour, 2 credit hours for a 3 credits of work. I hate that they did thi to me my last semester, now I'm dreading starting the semester tomorrow.

This is why I keep coming back to grad cafe. Datatape is always prepared with comforting words and a situationally appropriate gif!

Good news: in the last month, I found out I'm getting my second peer-reviewed article published. Bad news: I just found out that the school I adjunct for is docking my pay from 3 credit hours to 2 credit hours because my summer class only has 8 students enrolled in it and they want 9. It's still a 3 credit hour course and I'm still doing the same amount of work, but for less money. I know post-phd job opportunities are slim... But wow. I love teaching and I've remained relatively positive about being an adjunct for the past two years, but feeling exploited with absolutely no recourse makes me really glad I'm starting my doctorate in the fall.

I feel like they won't care. People have done that to me before, and I was annoyed for a few seconds, then found someone else to cover the spot.

Is there not a composition contact? A director of composition? That's who I would contact because, in my experience, that's who does the hiring.

I'm choosing Hebrew.

literary_tourist, you should definitely include LSU! The faculty I spoke with seemed really supportive of my interests, and they said they try to accommodate a wide variety of interests. Where are you living? I understand about the anxiety - this was my first PhD app cycle, too. I'm so happy to have hit what I see as a homerun my first time (LSU may not be the highest ranked school, but they have a great stipend and I get to attend with my spouse, so I'm happy.)

They truly are. But I was always stuck with the 4 year olds. I don't even like kids.

I worked at a Jewish day camp every summer during my MA and loathed every excruciating minute.

Oh, that is sad - I've also had to back out at the last minute somewhere once before. They had notified us of acceptance so late that plane ticket prices had become unreasonably expensive. so what panel were you supposed to chair? If I was you, I'd still try to publish. I know it seems impossible, but you can start with something lesser known or something really subject specific, and see what you get out of it. My articles have been rejected, but they've also been accepted, too. You never know until you try! My focus is Anglo-Jewish literature, Victorian Judaism, animal studies, gothic novels/sensation novels/detective novels/penny bloods (threw those all together). To be honest, my husband picked LSU. We made a list of 9 programs to apply to, and LSU was one of his contributions. It was the last application I sent in, and they couldn't ever find my BA transcript, so I thought I had no chance and had written it off until my husband and I were both accepted on the same night. Needless to say, that's where we're going! I feel like I know nothing about the application process. They just said they were intrigued by my interests.

Oh, how wonderful! If the presentation you are thinking of was on women and the Talmud and was at 8am Saturday morning, then yes, that was me. Thank you for your gracious comments about my presentation. Speaking in front of a large crowd that included people I had cited in my MA thesis was really unnerving. So if you aren't a Victorianist, how did you find yourself at MVSA? Where are you going in the fall?

Wonderful! I hope we meet someday. Re: conferences, I was *very* lucky in that my little Oklahoma school shelled out literally thousands of dollars for each graduate student to attend conferences annually. I was told basically when I got off the boat that conferences are very important, so I committed to attending one or more yearly. Also, I'll admit I'm really nervous that I won't be prepared, so I've tried everything I can think of to communicate that I'm prepared to take on PhD level work. What about yourself? What about your interests, etc? (Or any other Victorianists, for that matter?)

Hi, I'm a Victorianist! I'm attending LSU this fall. From what I understand (which is, admittedly, very little) from my visit with the Victorian literature professors at LSU, LSU recently joined the Dickens Project. Also, from what I understand, they encourage graduate students to submit a paper to win a chance to attend/speak(?) at Dickens Universe each year. I plan to do nothing my first year, but next summer I do plan to finish a paper on Dickens and submit it to them in the hopes that I am selected for this opportunity. I was an MA student for three years and have been an adjunct for the past two, and have presented/chaired at a regional MLA conference every. single. year. and I'm exhausted. I returned a few weeks ago from the Midwest Victorian Studies Association conference where I was the only young had-not-yet-started-her-phd girl to speak at the conference. Frankly, I'm so exhausted by conferences right now that I plan to take my first year of school off conferences (though I am very interested in just attending the Sherlock Holmes conference at the Univ of Minnesota in August *just* as a spectator). Though I'm sure I will be interested in NAVSA at some point and really need to research it further. I've decided I am no longer attending regional MLAs, and want to commit to being more involved in Victorian-specific conferences in the future. The phd girls at the MVSA conference told me to focus more on publications than conferences, so that is my priority right now. I spent the last two years (my time as an adjunct) reading everything I could squeeze in between teaching 6 classes a semester from a Victorian comprehensive exam list. I read *so* much more in the last two years than in the three years I spent as an MA student.

My husband and I both applied to Nebraska in 19th century. he got in, I was rejected. They can only take 2 lit people a year, if that gives you some perspective. They told him that they had to fight creative writing people for his spot. I'm not saying don't apply--they seem to have some wonderful resources--just FYI.

Have you ever written on/read criticism on masculinity in the Holmes canon?

Novels, for one thing. I'm not much into poetry. My main area of interest is Victorian Judaism/Anglo-Jewish writings/portrayals of Jews in literature. I will tell you that I was rejected from A LOT of programs, but I did get into enough to have good options, and they all told me I was accepted partially because they were intrigued by my focus on Judaism. Some schools are into religion, some aren't. I wouldn't call it "hot" or "cutting edge," but religion and lit has some staying power, if I may be so bold. My philosophy with applications was, they like it or they don't. Judaism is a huge part of my life, and I picked this as my interest because I'm very passionate about people understanding that Jews have participated in the English language literary tradition and that Judaism isn't as foreign as a lot of people think. I'm personally invested and that works for me (and others). I am also interested in animal studies - not because it is trendy, but because I have a personal interest in it - and gothic novels/serialized penny bloods. So there you have it. Maybe my interests were boring to some schools, but not all. I'm working on my 2nd peer review publication and am starting my phd in the fall, so I think I'm doing okay.

I'm a Victorianist and that didn't hurt me in the application process!

I've been teaching at a university that allows us to design our own curriculums, and my Freshman Comp papers are a mixture of writing about novels and/or films, rhetorical analysis, and argument. I pick all topics. I give them 3-4 choices, but no one is allowed to choose an unapproved topic.

Sad for you both, but also happy for all of us! We're getting to live our dreams (at least, I assume this is a shared dream!). I feel bad for you both, beet-nik since you are moving so far from your S/O, and proflorax, since you are moving across the country, I'm lucky in that Baton Rouge is only (only, LOL) a ten hour drive from Oklahoma City, so I can come back to visit with more frequency than I had feared.

Trying hard to deal with how homesick I am already. I am very excited to take this next step in my life - which is beginning on the precipice of me turning 30 - and so glad that both my husband and I get to pursue our goals together in an interesting, charming new place. But I already desperately miss my life as it is now. And on the academic end of things, I have to teach 3 summer classes at my Oklahoma institution before moving, and I'm responding to 3 CFPs for published articles in the event that I get one published so I can take a break from trying for at least my first year.

I'm so excited to see other people applying to LSU since I'm starting my PhD there this fall!

I've always sent a simple email saying I have attached my proposal for the 20-- conference, thanks, etc. then attach a word doc with my name, instituion and abstract. And as a panel chair, that's the sort of thing I've received, also.