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claritus

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  1. Like
    claritus got a reaction from meghan_sparkle in New Rankings   
    It's obviously not radically efficient, but I've found that going through dissertations on ProQuest—sorted by advisor/committee—gives you a fairly good idea of placement statistics, provided you do a little bit of google followup. Research quality is a lot harder to figure out, especially since it's subjective, but I try to follow the significant journals and imprints in my field. Special issues of journals and published roundtables are incredibly helpful (in my opinion) because they frame/are framed by immediate scholarly conversations. Obviously there will be bad and good work in each case, but the more important part is having an idea of who is involved in the conversations, and where they're writing from. 
  2. Like
    claritus got a reaction from superfluouswoman in The future of comp/lit...   
    To play devil's advocate, while there are problems distinct to Comparative Literature, I think there are some significant upsides as well. I'd also say it comes down to your personal goals & strategy, particularly in the long run. 

    If you are dead set on working in a Comp Lit program after graduation, I don't think it's a wise decision—the same goes for smaller language departments. However, I can think of many recent hires in English departments who have come from Comp Lit. At Berkeley, for example, I think around 7-8 of our junior faculty members (a significant majority) have PhDs in Comp Lit, rather than in English. Off the top of my head, I would say that similar trends are visible in other comparable departments, with Princeton and Chicago coming to mind. 

    There are various reasons for this, including broad transnational turns in the field, which I can't really go fully go into. I'd say that in many cases the additional language training does help candidates stand out. However, this isn't really beneficial unless there is a significant and/or central Anglophone component to their work. So the proper strategy seems be to work in Comp Lit, but with an eye towards English jobs—i.e. work with a mentor who does Anglophone work, but have a secondary mentor or co-advisor in another language. There's also a lot to be said for working in non-Western languages, particularly Asian languages and Arabic, as well as Indigenous languages. Whether or not Comparative Literature itself is expanding as a discipline, the expansion of subfields like Asian American, Native American, and "Global Anglophone" has opened space for comparatists in other ways. 
     
  3. Upvote
    claritus got a reaction from nichts in The future of comp/lit...   
    To play devil's advocate, while there are problems distinct to Comparative Literature, I think there are some significant upsides as well. I'd also say it comes down to your personal goals & strategy, particularly in the long run. 

    If you are dead set on working in a Comp Lit program after graduation, I don't think it's a wise decision—the same goes for smaller language departments. However, I can think of many recent hires in English departments who have come from Comp Lit. At Berkeley, for example, I think around 7-8 of our junior faculty members (a significant majority) have PhDs in Comp Lit, rather than in English. Off the top of my head, I would say that similar trends are visible in other comparable departments, with Princeton and Chicago coming to mind. 

    There are various reasons for this, including broad transnational turns in the field, which I can't really go fully go into. I'd say that in many cases the additional language training does help candidates stand out. However, this isn't really beneficial unless there is a significant and/or central Anglophone component to their work. So the proper strategy seems be to work in Comp Lit, but with an eye towards English jobs—i.e. work with a mentor who does Anglophone work, but have a secondary mentor or co-advisor in another language. There's also a lot to be said for working in non-Western languages, particularly Asian languages and Arabic, as well as Indigenous languages. Whether or not Comparative Literature itself is expanding as a discipline, the expansion of subfields like Asian American, Native American, and "Global Anglophone" has opened space for comparatists in other ways. 
     
  4. Like
    claritus got a reaction from Minerva1917 in The future of comp/lit...   
    To play devil's advocate, while there are problems distinct to Comparative Literature, I think there are some significant upsides as well. I'd also say it comes down to your personal goals & strategy, particularly in the long run. 

    If you are dead set on working in a Comp Lit program after graduation, I don't think it's a wise decision—the same goes for smaller language departments. However, I can think of many recent hires in English departments who have come from Comp Lit. At Berkeley, for example, I think around 7-8 of our junior faculty members (a significant majority) have PhDs in Comp Lit, rather than in English. Off the top of my head, I would say that similar trends are visible in other comparable departments, with Princeton and Chicago coming to mind. 

    There are various reasons for this, including broad transnational turns in the field, which I can't really go fully go into. I'd say that in many cases the additional language training does help candidates stand out. However, this isn't really beneficial unless there is a significant and/or central Anglophone component to their work. So the proper strategy seems be to work in Comp Lit, but with an eye towards English jobs—i.e. work with a mentor who does Anglophone work, but have a secondary mentor or co-advisor in another language. There's also a lot to be said for working in non-Western languages, particularly Asian languages and Arabic, as well as Indigenous languages. Whether or not Comparative Literature itself is expanding as a discipline, the expansion of subfields like Asian American, Native American, and "Global Anglophone" has opened space for comparatists in other ways. 
     
  5. Upvote
    claritus reacted to jackdacjson in Language for a Victorianist?   
    So, I mostly agree with what pippi wrote, especially the second half. Except, I wanted to point out that even basic reading comprehension can be useful to one's research and one's understanding of a foreign writer. While there's little no harm to reading Freud or Marx in translation (aside from the theoretical confounds involved), especially given that's how most of us do so, every now and again I think scholars end up investigating individuals sentences or word choices in the original German, to gain insight into a phrase or a claim that seems particularly striking or perplexing. Spending some time with a language, even if it's not that much time, may not allow one to read the German fluently or without aid, but it allows a greater degree of independence and discretion when going down such rabbit holes. That's how I am thinking of language requirements myself--as someone who doesn't particularly like working in foreign languages, and whose time period straddles the 19th and 20th centuries, I want to spend my time not pretending to have mastery over French or German or whathaveyou--because that's all it would be, pretend--but gaining some small nuggets of insight into other languages so I can be prepared when I see dialogue in French or when I want to see how, exactly, Freud worded a sentence. Some people, who are so inclined, might want more out of a language requirement, and intend perhaps to do more comparative work than I do or to work with untranslated texts. But I think there's something to be said for working primarily in English, and using one's familiarity with foreign grammars for insight and not for long term reading projects.
     
    I might have missed something, but I don't think OP is currently asking about acquiring a language for PhD applications (which would be difficult if they wanted to apply this fall, for instance), but instead is thinking of the language requirement for their MA. But anyway, I wanted to mention, on the off chance that it's relevant, that not every PhD application has a foreign language attached. While having one or two languages is a strength, people apply without a second language often enough. Moreover, OP can, at this point, demonstrate Polish and Romanian, each to some degree, which if they decide to apply for PhDs, should be enough to help their application along, at least showing a proclivity for languages, especially given their high school French. But when I applied to programs at least, I had no university-level language classes, and had a decent season, so lacking documentation proving language familiarity is not always a deathblow.
  6. Upvote
    claritus reacted to unræd in Speaking of Languages: Sign Language?   
    Yup! I know a couple of people at my current institution who have fulfilled departmental language reqs w/ ASL. The procedure was largely the same as a translation exam in a written language: they viewed a video of an asl instructor signing a text, and then their translation of it was graded for accuracy by the instructor. 
    Although I've also been in schools where the department disallowed it, so your best bet, as always, is to check with your specific DGS.
  7. Upvote
    claritus reacted to Dr. Old Bill in Spouses and Jobs   
    There is nothing wrong with this at all. It falls under the umbrella of "it can't hurt to ask." I know of a few scenarios in which this has definitively worked out, and I know of at least one current situation where this is at least in the cards. 

    Incidentally, when I did my undergrad, I was 100 miles from campus and my then-wife was 50 miles (in the other direction) from where she worked. We lived in a crappy apartment in a crappy little city, but we both commuted for two years, and it was definitely doable. I'm not sure if there is a suitably equidistant town between Davis and Frisco (sorry @hj2012, I had to), but I'm living proof that such a thing is a viable option!
  8. Upvote
    claritus reacted to brontebitch in Language for a Victorianist?   
    Yeah, the philosophers you mention are all of great interest to me. I have yet to consider them in my research, but I am also interested in Gothic lit and have studied some Freud, so I think German would actually be very helpful. I love George Eliot too! Thanks for your input!
  9. Upvote
    claritus reacted to sgc001 in Language for a Victorianist?   
    I'm going to throw in German as a suggestion. I don't know much about German fiction of the era, but I know that there was frequent and important exchange of ideas between England and Germany. And if you want to delve into the areas around the Victorian era for contextualization purposes, the German Romanticists set some precedents.
    Disclaimer: I'm not a Victorianist.
  10. Upvote
    claritus reacted to jackdacjson in 2017 Final Decisions   
    Hey all,
     
    I've just accepted my PhD offer from the University of Michigan! While a lot of people I know have pressured me to hold out for Princeton, just in case, I think I would probably end up choosing Michigan anyway because it is a MUCH better research and temperamental fit. So yeah.
     
    Good luck everyone who's still in the throes of uncertainty!
  11. Upvote
    claritus got a reaction from t67 in IU-Bloomington Victorian Studies   
    I'm not a Victorianist, but I know that they lost Andrew Miller to JHU a year or so ago, alongside Mary Favret (who is a Romanticist, but still a very significant loss). Obviously it remains a strong department for Victorian Studies, but I imagine they're doing a little bit of rebuilding right now. 
  12. Upvote
    claritus reacted to imogenshakes in 2017 Final Decisions   
    Hooray! Yes, to be quite honest, when the DGS told me that some students have done that I melted a little bit. It's certainly an exciting prospect! ?
  13. Upvote
    claritus reacted to Yanaka in 2017 Final Decisions   
    Just accepted Villanova!!
  14. Upvote
    claritus got a reaction from imogenshakes in 2017 Final Decisions   
    I've also accepted my offer from Berkeley! Super excited about the program—it really felt right during the visit. 
    @imogenshakes Glad to see you accepted the offer from Davis! You might have to take the train down to Berkeley for a seminar
  15. Upvote
    claritus got a reaction from Abyss21 in 2017 Final Decisions   
    I've also accepted my offer from Berkeley! Super excited about the program—it really felt right during the visit. 
    @imogenshakes Glad to see you accepted the offer from Davis! You might have to take the train down to Berkeley for a seminar
  16. Upvote
    claritus got a reaction from Narrative Nancy in 2017 Final Decisions   
    I've also accepted my offer from Berkeley! Super excited about the program—it really felt right during the visit. 
    @imogenshakes Glad to see you accepted the offer from Davis! You might have to take the train down to Berkeley for a seminar
  17. Upvote
    claritus got a reaction from englishgrad2017 in 2017 Final Decisions   
    I've also accepted my offer from Berkeley! Super excited about the program—it really felt right during the visit. 
    @imogenshakes Glad to see you accepted the offer from Davis! You might have to take the train down to Berkeley for a seminar
  18. Upvote
    claritus got a reaction from DankOcean in 2017 Final Decisions   
    I've also accepted my offer from Berkeley! Super excited about the program—it really felt right during the visit. 
    @imogenshakes Glad to see you accepted the offer from Davis! You might have to take the train down to Berkeley for a seminar
  19. Upvote
    claritus got a reaction from Krobotnik in 2017 Final Decisions   
    I've also accepted my offer from Berkeley! Super excited about the program—it really felt right during the visit. 
    @imogenshakes Glad to see you accepted the offer from Davis! You might have to take the train down to Berkeley for a seminar
  20. Upvote
    claritus reacted to loganondorf in 2017 Final Decisions   
    I've formally accepted Notre Dame's offer! Dream school, so I couldn't be happier.
  21. Upvote
    claritus got a reaction from loganondorf in 2017 Final Decisions   
    I've also accepted my offer from Berkeley! Super excited about the program—it really felt right during the visit. 
    @imogenshakes Glad to see you accepted the offer from Davis! You might have to take the train down to Berkeley for a seminar
  22. Upvote
    claritus reacted to Sunsy in 2017 Final Decisions   
    Now that all my visits are finally over, UC Berkeley is the winner! Couldn't be happier about it, especially since everything I saw at the visit was extremely positive and welcoming.
  23. Upvote
    claritus reacted to erosanddust in 2017 Final Decisions   
    I accepted my offer from University of Toronto! My application season had a rather rocky start, so I'm thrilled that I'll be attending a strong and exciting program that has proven to be a great fit for me.
  24. Upvote
    claritus reacted to Sunsy in Waitlist Movement   
    I just turned down offers from Johns Hopkins and Notre Dame today. Hope that helps someone!
  25. Upvote
    claritus reacted to imogenshakes in 2017 Final Decisions   
    I accepted my offer from UC Davis yesterday! I'm so excited and relieved. Much of the decision had to do with the area itself (better for me and my partner, easier for him to find a job) and funding (I found out recently that I actually have six years of funding there, which I didn't get anywhere else). Now onto the practicalities!
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