ProfLorax

You realize you're in the literature and rhetoric forum, right? Like, this is what we do! As any rhetorician will tell you, style and invention (the argument itself) are not separate components to any argument. VM has committed several rhetorical fallacies since coming to this board, including ad hominem (he attacks specific users, the gradcafe community, and all of rhet/comp). In fact, because ad hominem has been the basis of VM's argument since Day 1, their argument has increasingly been less about the state of academia and more about what they perceive as the morality and intelligence of the individuals in academia. In other words, VM has never been interested in critiquing the state of the academy but calling those of us who aspire to work within its halls unethical fools. So yeah, that's gonna rub people the wrong way. ComeBackZinc regularly warned users of the perilous nature of the job market and urge folks to abandon ship if they had another job possibility. His argument was, while not always well received, at least tolerated because he never attacked the users on the board, our choices, or our fields of study. His argument remained focused on the state of the university itself, in both style and content, and thus he presented a much more persuasive argument.

Second week back after an eight month maternity leave.

All this ProfLorax love is going to my head! Seriously, I have met several GradCafers at conferences or at my program, and we are as charming, brilliant, and driven as you would imagine. Go team!

Yay! It's true, GradCafers. Wyatt's Torch and I met today, and it was magical. I'm really happy to report that WT is already wonderfully settled in on UMD's campus and has a SWEET office! Also, he's as kind and thoughtful offline as he is online.

I live for Franklins' Onions Rings. LIVE FOR THEM. Great beer selection too. And yes, I'll see you, WT, on Tuesday!

I think your skeleton outline looks about right. But before you get started, I'd start with the big question for yourself: what is your narrative? For example, in mine, I wanted to present myself as a scholar, teacher, and activist who wanted to meld those interests in my studies and teaching. Once I realized my thesis, so to say, I moved on from there, choosing examples and experiences that supported the narrative I wanted to put forth. So, what's your narrative? Start there and the rest may fall into place (and still need like twenty revisions because the SOP is a beast that will not be tamed).

I'm so excited for everyone! I'm going back next week for the first time since December. I was officially enrolled last semester, but since I completed my teaching load in the Fall and took an independent study with my advisor via Skype, this Fall will be my first time back-back since my daughter was born. I have so many feelings about this: I'm so excited to see my friends, get back to my work, meet my students, and rock my exams, but I'm profoundly sad that I won't be home with my daughter all day everyday any more. This will be a huge transition for me, much bigger than when I started the program. This semester will also be the first time I've gone to school and not been in classes as a student. Dude. I'm done with classes, and it feels so so so good. I know I'll miss them eventually, but for now, I will celebrate entering the next stage of my doctoral career! Also, WT, can't wait to finally meet you in person and hear all about how amazing Lin Manuel Miranda is live!

I just posted this to my facebook wall with a link to the article:

Hey SocraticProf, I'm in the process of contacting some of the professional organizations in my field and calling them to formally respond to this. Is there a way to find out what percentage of English 1000 teachers are grad students? I ask because I study composition, and I think I can get some of the major players in our field to agree this is a composition issue, as grad students are a major part of the composition work force. Thanks, and good luck. Keep us posted.

Holy crap. This hasn't happened at University of Maryland, I think because grad students are offered the same plans/subsidies as staff and faculty. I am so so sorry about this. Is there any organizing happening? How can students at other institutions show solidarity with the grad students at Mizzou?

Good question! I'd say most of my grad seminars were structured similarly to my undergrad seminars: discussion based sessions on that week's readings and course concepts. Here are some subtle but important differences: Both in my MA and PhD programs, classes met once a week for three hours. This means we had more substantial discussions, diving pretty deeply into each reading. Some professors also assigned small group work to fill out the time as well.The sections are smaller, which means there is more pressure to talk in class.Many, if not most, students have a laptop ready to go.Many seminars require a presentation component. This can range from students presenting mini-conference papers or even leading the class for an hour or two. Students are often treated as experts in their subfields. For example, I am often asked, "what does a disability studies reading of this text look like?" by my professors or classmates.Some people will try to be the smartest person in the room. Don't be that person. (Sorry I'm slipping into advice here.) Be the hardest worker or the most engaged or some other superlative if you must. But the folks trying to be the smartest person in the room (name dropping theorists irrelevant to the conversation as if everyone knows their entire bibliographies, speaking thesaurus-ese, interrupting others), are often the worst.

I can't help you with the questions you listed (all good questions), but I wanted to suggest that perhaps you look into some rhetoric programs. There's Rhetoric at Berkeley, which is very interdisciplinary, but also rhet/comp programs. While some scholars in rhet/comp do, many of us don't focus on a specific timeframe nor a specific genre. I utilize feminist, disability, and queer methodologies to study embodied rhetorics in disability activism, so I've written papers on speeches, on zines, on hashtag activism, and on bodies in protest. Of course, even if you lean toward the rhetoric side of rhet/comp, you still must have an enthusiasm for composition--teaching it, studying it, etc. You may want to look at the work some queer theory scholars are doing: KJ Rawson, Jonathan Alexander, Adela Licona, and Pamela VanHaitsma. I really like the edited collection put together by Charles E. Morris, Archival Queer. You may also want to ask yourself: what do you want to teach? Do you want to teach Women's Studies courses? Literature courses? Writing courses? That's always a good place to start.

Good point! I could see this more acceptable in our field (rhet/comp with a digital emphasis). But yes: being Facebook friends with Melanie Yergeau is how I ended up presenting on a panel with her (remotely) at Computers and Writing this year! I try to add scholars who I meet offline and seem very friendly, and I have since had really interesting discussions with some leading figures in my field about teaching, parenting, and dogs.

It's all about exigence, erosanddust! I wouldn't make up a reason for an email, and I really wouldn't send a paper and ask for feedback. If the professor has a recent publication, though, go ahead and ask a question. The trick is the question has to be smart but not presumptuous. It's a tricky genre (go to any Q&A at a conference, and you'll see that most academics haven't really mastered the honest inquisitive question). I have emailed some of the scholars in my field for various reasons, including offering to help out on a committee they head, asking for connections when putting together a conference panel, requesting a PDF of a book chapter I can't find via library databases, or seeing if they could speak at a student event (with an honorarium). I actually find the best way to make a connection is to meet the person offline at a conference, and then email a follow-up "it was nice to meet you let's be BFF's kthxbye" note afterward.

Also, howabout: I'm very sorry you're feeling this way. Good on you for acknowledging that you're not happy and make the moves to become so. Chadillac: You're the best. Just, the best.

howabout: you mention racial tension on campus as one of the reasons you want to transfer. Have you talked to any faculty of color? Maybe someone you could safely discuss your concerns and who could reach out to other programs on your behalf?

Sure! After I graduated with a BA, I applied to MA and PhD programs in Literature. My area of focus? A whole bunch of random things. I was flatly rejected from all the PhD and funded MA programs, so I attended the most affordable in-state option: SF State. I was on the literature track and graduated with an MA in Literature, but the last year, I tutored in the writing center and took a composition course. My interest was piqued! I taught for three years at a community college and decided for a whole myriad of reasons to return to school. I applied to PhD programs in rhetoric and composition and was accepted into more than I expected. The MA was critical for me; I explored everything I could and narrowed down my interests (and switched from lit to rhet/comp!). At the same time, doing a terminal MA before a PhD adds two (or more) years. That's why I think it's wise to apply to both if you can! If a PhD program welcomes you with open arms, awesome! You're in. If only MA programs do, awesome! You're in. It's a win-win situation!

I just want to sneak in here and respond quickly to this point: Comparative Literature is a field devoted to the study of literature. When I graduated with my BA, I had no idea what Comparative Literature was. I only learned about it as a field because at my MA institution, the Lit and Comp Lit take mostly the same classes. The biggest difference is that (folks, correct me if I'm wrong), Comp Lit students work with more than one language (at least); I have also heard that theory has a welcome home in Comp Lit departments. But other than that, Comparative Literature is a literature degree. You needn't take any language learning courses; typically, you'd like literature courses in English and whatever other languages you study. All that being said, if you want to pursue English, you should! You know what you want to do better than any of us. Plus, though you may have higher chances of admissions applying to CompLit programs, I believe the job market is harsher there than in English. You actually sound a lot like me when I graduated from my undergrad institution. Here are two sentences from my statement of purpose (be prepared to cringe, y'all): Ugh. I applied to MA and PhD programs and was thoroughly rejected from every single PhD program. Now I realize I just wasn't ready. I hugely benefited from an MA degree. It gave me focus and helped me realize that YES I still do care and want to study how language, rhetoric, writing, and stories impact the human condition and social justice, but now I can express those desires with the language of the academy and my field. Compare the above "thesis" to my more recent (and successful) PhD applications: Right? My point is this: I couldn't have arrived there on my own. An MA program and teaching afterward introduced me to critical and theoretical frameworks I never knew and helped me really finesse my scholarly interests into an effective statement. You never know how applications will shake out, so I think applying to some PhD programs and some paid MA programs (there's a thread here that lists a bunch) is a great idea. Edited because SO MANY TYPOS. #sleepdeprivation

Like others have said, many programs offer part-time teaching positions to recent graduates while they are on the job market. But in rhet/comp, you'll want to find programs with 100 or pretty darn close to 100% job placement (into tenure track and alt-ac positions). Shoot for the stars, and find a program that will set you up for the best job possible!

echo449 is absolutely right: you will need to pick a period. Typically, folks frame themselves as a period + theoretical framework(s). Why? Admission committees split up applications by period, so the medievalist faculty will read through the medievalist candidate applications. I imagine it's set up that way because of the job market. You won't really see any calls for candidates interested in philosophy and literature (maybe one or two, but I can't imagine more). But you will see universities hiring medievalists, early modernists, rhetoricians, 20th century Americanists, etc.

I've been grad schooling and/or teaching for a while now, so I have a few recommendations. My favorite backpack: The North Face Surge Comfy, lots of room, built to last. My favorite messenger bag: TimBuk2 Lots of different cuts and patterns, sturdy material. My only regret is not getting a bag with shoulder straps. Always get shoulder straps! My favorite fancy bag: Lo & Sons OMG Beautiful bag, tons of room, lots of compartments, flexibility. Only downside: super expensive. A good thing to put on your wish list (I got mine as a birthday present.)

Thirded on Melanie Yergeau. Check out her essay in DSQ; she weaves the personal and the political, the everyday with the academic so expertly.

Good question. The mod team doesn't always operate as a team, so that decision I made solo. I decided to shut the other thread down when it became personal attacks between two people who could have easily carried the conversation to PM. This thread, while it exhausts me, seems to be engaging more people. I've been pretty happy ignoring it for now but can shut it down if it crosses the line again.

Since we are going way off topic (my favorite pass time!), I wanna respond to bhr's comment about grammar being 10th on the list of priorities. Spoken like a true compositionist! And I agree. But I sometimes think that our field, in its attempt to prioritize ideas over punctuation, forgets that style is an important canon and a rhetorical function. Writing instruction that teaches grammar in isolation? Ineffective. Writing institution that teaches grammar as a stylistic and argumentative strategy? Effective. I have taken some composition pedagogy classes, and they have all been so strongly "we don't teach grammar!" that when I started actually teaching, I had no idea how to approach teaching style. I read telkanura's post less about grammar (this is right and this is wrong) and more about style (academia prefers concise, direct syntax*). (*I don't know if that is universally valid.)