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Sparrowing

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  1. Sparrowing

    Toronto, ON

    I've noticed this, too. I think there's a very different academic culture in Canada, and students here have different expectations. I've found that, since there is less difference in quality between Canadian schools relative to the American post-secondary system, Canadians choose schools based on a number of softer factors rather than always shooting for the schools with the most prestige. Obviously this is a generalization, but anecdotally I've found it to be true. Also, maybe the fact that Canadians get MAs before applying to PhD programs makes us more certain about what schools would be good fits?
  2. Canadian schools whose English departments rank in the global top 50 include the University of Toronto (#7), McGill (#12) and UBC (#13). The University of Alberta is also a great school overall, and although its English department doesn't rank among the top 50, I know people who absolutely love it there. (Edmonton has nasty weather, though.) U of T is the only Canadian school I've heard of that does not fund its MA students. Still, American students head there in decent numbers, because all the best Canadian schools are public and relatively affordable. Also, in Canada an MA is a basic prerequisite for a PhD, and US adcoms are aware of this cultural difference. As a sidenote, I find it strange that when people research rankings by department or field, they often only look at US-published reports that omit international schools. *typical Canadian protesting US-centricity* *typical Canadian who thinks education should be publicly funded*
  3. Recently I've been re-reading all of Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's wonderful monographs. If you enjoyed Berlant's Cruel Optimism and Freeman's Time Binds, I might also suggest An Archive of Feelings by Ann Cvetovich and Queer Phenomenology by Sara Ahmed. All of the above are also FUN reads. And Sedgwick's prose is gorgeous, if at times indirect. As a follow up to Lefebvre's Production of Space I'd recommend Neil Smith's Uneven Development, and after Williams' Marxism and Literature I'd read Jacques Rancière's Politics of Aesthetics. Anyone read Butler's Precarious Life? Is it worth the price of admission?
  4. I've been thinking about giving BE a try. I switched to Chanel after they discontinued my shade of By Terry (so sad!) and it was great for the first six months or so, but now it's not working out as well. (Seasonal thing?) For skincare I use products from Aesop, Kiehl's, and Caudalie. I sometimes use eyelash primer by Dior, but for mascara just Maybelline Great Lash. And it's funny, I've been using that stuff since I was 13. The packaging is so nostalgic for me. For eyeliner I just take Revlon or whatever's available at the drugstore in dark grey. I used to use Nars (love Nars eyeshadow), but then I realized that it's not much different from stuff that's 1/3 the price.
  5. I actually enjoyed Cruel Optimism quite a bit. I wouldn't hesitate if you've got the time, even if it's tangential to your primary interests. I tend to ignore anything that begins with the words 'I've heard,' but nevertheless: I've heard that it's a wise idea to ground yourself in a historical period (even if contemporary) if your main interests are theoretical. More appeal for hiring committees, I guess, since you can teach all the appropriate 100-level courses.
  6. I actually find it strange that so much of this forum is dedicated to the application and decision-making process. But maybe I'm missing the point. Sometimes it's nice to have interactions with grad students that don't impact internal departmental rankings. (Nobody told me about this system until the END of my MA, and I'm sort of glad they didn't. I wish I could remain equally ignorant for the PhD.) Relative anonymity can be a good thing.
  7. I actually did have affect theory in mind when I posed the OQ, and in a way a shift in vantage toward the affective might also legitimate formalism (if it needs to be legitimized, which sometimes it does -- hence amalgamations like Historical-Formalism etc. and conferences on New Formalism). Interesting that it could be a generational thing, in which case it's likely to be more of a turn than a trend. This reminds me of a moment where Sedgwick associates hermeneutics of suspicion with baby boomers. I guess for me the problem is a practical one, since I'm only beginning my PhD and don't yet have a firm footing within a field. Like if affect is 'the word of the day,' do you want it in your dissertation title? I think there are some exciting things happening in many disciplines right now, and with that might come a particular anxiety -- or not. (That word 'anxiety' is sooooo loaded....)
  8. I tend to agree. I also should have mentioned that sometimes it's difficult to distinguish between a trend and a new critical turn.
  9. How do people feel about academic trends in the humanities? Do you avoid fields or approaches that have recently received a lot of attention? Do you avoid approaches that have become passé? Or do you just do what interests you, regardless? The stakes are obviously higher for dissertations than for one-off articles. I certainly appreciate highly responsive, socially relevant theory and criticism, and I'm using the word 'trend' descriptively, not dismissively.
  10. Any law school drop-outs here? I meet a few who've returned to the fold after discovering they just don't have the guts for a successful law career. At one point I came close to enrolling in a law program, and the reactions I got from the average person were so much more positive than the ones I now get, as a PhD admit. I try not to care, but truthfully I do, a little.
  11. I will be there, presenting on a panel alongside two tenured professors. I've conferenced before, but not at this level. I'm pretty much terrified.
  12. I agree. I know more than a few people who took on considerable debt because they were certain that the name of their school was some kind of insurance in the job market -- that they could later get a PhD, start a lucrative career within a year or two, and pay down their debt within five. They are now struggling to make loan payments and renting apartments I wouldn't even have considered as an undergraduate. I'm Canadian, and in this country the vast majority of graduate programs (including masters-level) are funded adequately enough to cover tuition and living expenses without necessitating loans. For people who think that they are somehow more exceptional than the folks described above -- money isn't everything, but it's naïve to think that it's trivial or easy-to-come-by. Apologies if this sounds harsh. I know some people are going to dismiss this kind of advice no matter what, and I wish them luck. Some disciplines are exceptions, of course, but for the majority of humanities, social sciences, and pure sciences, please consider carefully. And remember that the choice is not Masters degree vs. no-Masters-degree; there are options for funding, and they're worth finding. Lastly, keep in mind that some of your classmates will be financed by their parents, and after graduation they'll likely get hired before you do, for a multitude of other reasons. (Self-presentation counts for a lot in job interviews, and it's hard to maintain when your nutrition is poor, you have no health insurance, you haven't been to the dentist in years, and you can't afford nicely tailored clothes and grown-up shoes.)
  13. Love roast chicken. I'll have to try this butter baste next time! Alternatively, you could use lemon, garlic, and fresh thyme. Also, I usually add potatoes and maybe carrots or root veggies to the roasting pan for the last 30-40 mins (after parboiling), so that they get crisp and coated in the lovely flavours of the chicken fat. I don't skimp on quality food. I'd rather turn down an invitation to the pub once in a while than limit my food budget. I have a few very simple, delicious pasta recipes that are my staples. One is a tagliatelle that involves lemon, pine nuts, Parmesan, and Taleggio cheese, one is a fusili with crushed Italian sausage, lemon, white wine, fennel seeds, and parmesan, and another is a spaghetti with crushed basil, almonds, tomatoes, good olive oil, and cheese. There are other ingredients that go into these, too, so PM me if you want the full recipes. Each takes around 20-25 minutes if you time everything right, and I always have enough leftovers for the next day. Fish and seafood are also wonderful things. Fish cooks up very quickly and doesn't need elaborate accompaniments, so if you're lucky enough to live on one of the coasts, it's a fantastic option. Granted, fresh seafood can be a bit pricey....last time I wanted to buy fresh dungeoness crab it was $40/lb! I've always wanted to try hitting up the docks myself. I'm also a big fan of a well-made sandwich. Very very simple combinations I like are cucumber, cream cheese, lemon juice, avocado, emmental; ham, cream cheese, dijon, emmental, greens; or olive oil, goat's cheese, black pepper, and fresh thyme on an open-face crusty bread under the broiler. And leftover roast chicken
  14. He looks like such a sweetheart! Who knows, maybe our dogs will one day meet in the parks of Toronto.
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