Lit, Rhet, Comp - Chat Thread

[lolopixie]

Alright, who are the biggest bosses in literary history that were over-shadowed by their more famous relations?

Mary Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft -- Shelley blows mama out of the water, but Wollstonecraft totally set the stage.

[marlowe]

Thanks for the responses regarding Comp/Rhet, English, Lit.

Doesn't Duke have separate programs in "English" and "Literature"? That is mostly what I was confused about since I assume I would apply in English, but I study literature.

[Aubergine]

Doesn't Duke have separate programs in "English" and "Literature"? That is mostly what I was confused about since I assume I would apply in English, but I study literature.

Duke's program in Literature doesn't fit into the usual categorizations. The name is misleading! As I understand it, it is probably most in line with Comp Lit, but it isn't comparative in the traditional sense. It is quite interdisciplinary and heavily invested in theory.

[Two Espressos]

I also could always go for a good ol' gin and tonic. Mmmmmm.

Basically, I'll drink anything except whiskey. And beer.

I'm not much of a drinker, but I do enjoy a nice gin and tonic. Yum.

I hate whiskey and beer as well, especially the latter. I've never understood the beer craze.

[Two Espressos]

Because of this, if your research interests are outside of these areas, you've got a drastically reduced chance of getting in...I mean, it's pretty much a "fit" issue here, and you probably weren't applying if you were outside of this area. They'll usually take a gender studies person and race/postcolonialism person, both more often than not working in the 20th century forward. For contemporary stuff (and especially poetry) they look for much more unique research interests. There's a current PhD who got in with interests in recordings and methods of sound production--an issue that's very salient to contemporary poetics that a lot of the faculty has written on to some extent--but an area which less work is being done in.

I'm very interested in Penn, so I'm glad you're on these boards!

I'm a junior, so I'm not applying until this upcoming fall.

You mention that Penn looks for more "unique" research interests for contemporary stuff. I want to throw some ideas around, some things I've been thinking about, and maybe you can give me any advice as to whether Penn would accommodate these kinds of things?

I've been thinking a lot about the notion and history of doubt, especially doubt as an ontological/epistemological basis for ethical thought. I've been thinking about doubt in political literature as well as the implications of doubt for human rights work and for writing practice. So in a sense I'm interested most in theoretical investigations of doubt crossing the lines between critical theory/literature/human rights/composition and rhetoric.

I'm not sure if the above is even a worthwhile area of research; it's just some of the things I've been mulling over. I've also been wondering, if the above is something worth pursuing, if the best place to pursue that work would be an interdisciplinary program such as Stanford's Modern Thought and Literature or UC Santa Cruz's History of Conscious program.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Edited January 22, 2012 by Two Espressos

[HunkyDory]

I'm very interested in Penn, so I'm glad you're on these boards!

I'm a junior, so I'm not applying until this upcoming fall.

You mention that Penn looks for more "unique" research interests for contemporary stuff. I want to throw some ideas around, some things I've been thinking about, and maybe you can give me any advice as to whether Penn would accommodate these kinds of things?

I've been thinking a lot about the notion and history of doubt, especially doubt as an ontological/epistemological basis for ethical thought. I've been thinking about doubt in political literature as well as the implications of doubt for human rights work and for writing practice. So in a sense I'm interested most in theoretical investigations of doubt crossing the lines between critical theory/literature/human rights/composition and rhetoric.

I'm not sure if the above is even a worthwhile area of research; it's just some of the things I've been mulling over. I've also been wondering, if the above is something worth pursuing, if the best place to pursue that work would be an interdisciplinary program such as Stanford's Modern Thought and Literature or UC Santa Cruz's History of Conscious program.

Any advice would be appreciated!

I mean, I don't think there's really any topic that just isn't "worthwhile."

You mention you're a junior? I'll offer two pieces of advice, and maybe other people can agree/disagree with this.

1. TAKE TIME OFF AFTER GETTING YOUR BA. Especially if you want a PhD. But you mature more as a person, as well as intellectually in that time. And a PhD is a big commitment...unless you are beyond positive that that's what want to do, I wouldn't even go.

2. The way you describe your topic...it needs to be more fleshed out/get more specific. "Doubt" isn't really a unique concept, if you want to talk about individuality, but as you take time and learn more you'll probably zero in on something a little more specific.

[Two Espressos]

I mean, I don't think there's really any topic that just isn't "worthwhile."

You mention you're a junior? I'll offer two pieces of advice, and maybe other people can agree/disagree with this.

1. TAKE TIME OFF AFTER GETTING YOUR BA. Especially if you want a PhD. But you mature more as a person, as well as intellectually in that time. And a PhD is a big commitment...unless you are beyond positive that that's what want to do, I wouldn't even go.

Yeah, I've been given this advice before. I'm not sure if I should or not. A few professors at my school have encouraged me to apply to graduate school, and I'm 100% sure I want to pursue a PhD at some point in my life, though I'm uncertain as to whether I should take off a year or not. Taking off a year would pose many financial problems, as loan payments begin 6 months (or is it 9?) after graduation. Plus I don't know where I'd get a job. I'm not saying I'm interested in a PhD because I simply "don't know what else to do," or anything like that. I know that's infantile. I'm strictly concerned with the pragmatic concerns of the "off-year."

I'd love to do volunteer work abroad, but nearly every program (barring the Peace Corps) requires the volunteer to pay, so those options aren't open to me. I'm probably going to apply to American University's MA program in Ethics, Peace, and Global Affairs, irrespective of whether I apply to PhD programs or not next year, as human rights work is another major interest of mine.

So many factors to consider...

2. The way you describe your topic...it needs to be more fleshed out/get more specific. "Doubt" isn't really a unique concept, if you want to talk about individuality, but as you take time and learn more you'll probably zero in on something a little more specific.

Oh, I know. I was mostly concerned with how Penn deals with interdisciplinarity, especially that which goes beyond the interdisciplinarity of the average English program. That's the main reason I asked you. I haven't ever even written about the vague topics I've described, but I believe that, after rigorous contemplation, it could turn into something.

Does anyone else have any thoughts?

[vordhosbntwin]

dokkeynot, what did you do during your time off?

[Phil Sparrow]

Take time off!!!! It will make you a better PhD student.

If you want to work abroad, go to Asia and teach English. Especially Korea. You can make bank there, which would allow you to fund volunteer work as well.

[JeremiahParadise]

Yeah, I've been given this advice before. I'm not sure if I should or not. A few professors at my school have encouraged me to apply to graduate school, and I'm 100% sure I want to pursue a PhD at some point in my life, though I'm uncertain as to whether I should take off a year or not. Taking off a year would pose many financial problems, as loan payments begin 6 months (or is it 9?) after graduation. Plus I don't know where I'd get a job. I'm not saying I'm interested in a PhD because I simply "don't know what else to do," or anything like that. I know that's infantile. I'm strictly concerned with the pragmatic concerns of the "off-year."

I'd love to do volunteer work abroad, but nearly every program (barring the Peace Corps) requires the volunteer to pay, so those options aren't open to me. I'm probably going to apply to American University's MA program in Ethics, Peace, and Global Affairs, irrespective of whether I apply to PhD programs or not next year, as human rights work is another major interest of mine.

So many factors to consider...

...

Does anyone else have any thoughts?

I was in a similar boat my senior year (2008-2009). I applied to and was accepted by the MA program I wanted, but I decided to take folks' advice and take some time off to be sure. I ultimately only took a year and worked a crappy insurance job, but I can honestly say my professional work experience totally, 100% reframed my approach to grad school. That is, I stopped looking at graduate school as "school" and really started to see it as a professional endeavor.

Looking back, I think this change of thought was something I couldn't really have understood as an undergrad -- I mean, you and I aren't the same person, so take this with a grain of salt -- but I didn't have any idea what it meant to be a professional, let alone a professional academic. Sure, people will tell you grad school in the humanities isn't a professional degree -- and I suppose it's technically not -- but it's probably way more of one than you'd imagine. You're not being taught by your professors, really -- you're teaching yourself, teaching your classmates, and being taught by them. You're not a student either, really -- you're a colleague, so you need to think, act, and contribute like one.

Now, since I've finished my MA, I've built in a year of teaching at a community college before I apply to PhDs. I decided not to go straight from one grad program to another because I saw how beneficial it was to take time off. Now, with my year off, not only am I able to retake my GRE General Test (and hopefully increase my scores) as well as teach (a lot), but I'm also able to present at a couple more conferences (this spring and summer) and really prepare well for the Subject Test.

I don't know -- do what you think is best, obviously. It's hard to get work nowadays, so you might take a year off and end up screwed for work and feel like you're wasting time... which you might be. But you could also really grow, and that growth would be invaluable as you move into whatever grad program you decide to attend. Either way, good luck -- sounds like you're committed and interested in the field, so I don't doubt you'll get where you want to be.

[antecedent]

JeremiahParadise, thank you so much for posting your story. I'm a little over halfway through my year off between undergrad and grad school, and hearing your approach to this whole process has really put this year (and grad school in general) into perspective for me.

For me, taking a year off has also represented an opportunity to take care of myself. As I'm sure many of you know, school is a great excuse to treat yourself like a giant brain with this kind of floppy body thing attached to it that just floats behind as you whiz around campus thinking big thoughts. A few months after graduating I landed a crappy job that has given me the evenings and weekends to problem solve quirks in my health that I pretty much ignored for the five years of my undergrad. By the time I get to my Masters in September, the hope is that I will be far better able to function healthily, as well as be better able to endure the (mental and physical) challenges of being a full-time student again.

[marruma]

I'm very interested in Penn, so I'm glad you're on these boards!

I'm a junior, so I'm not applying until this upcoming fall.

You mention that Penn looks for more "unique" research interests for contemporary stuff. I want to throw some ideas around, some things I've been thinking about, and maybe you can give me any advice as to whether Penn would accommodate these kinds of things?

I've been thinking a lot about the notion and history of doubt, especially doubt as an ontological/epistemological basis for ethical thought. I've been thinking about doubt in political literature as well as the implications of doubt for human rights work and for writing practice. So in a sense I'm interested most in theoretical investigations of doubt crossing the lines between critical theory/literature/human rights/composition and rhetoric.

I'm not sure if the above is even a worthwhile area of research; it's just some of the things I've been mulling over. I've also been wondering, if the above is something worth pursuing, if the best place to pursue that work would be an interdisciplinary program such as Stanford's Modern Thought and Literature or UC Santa Cruz's History of Conscious program.

Any advice would be appreciated!

@Two Espressos, your proposal is really interesting and I just have a few suggestions on improvement. 1. Describe your methodological approach to this question. Through which particular idiom (human rights theory, political theory, literary analysis,etc) are you approaching this concept. OR, perhaps your approach is metatheoretical by interrogating the very theoretical prism by which a text is approached. This also helps with developing an argument based on your proposed question or point of departure. In other words, how are you going to 'tackle' this issue and with what tools?

2. Your proposal is highly theoretical, which is interesting because I'm assuming that you have formed the theory first, but for it to be more convincing you may want to tether it to a source or practice. Cite an example, the ambiguity between theory and practice and the cause for further study.

3. Have you read the essay by Cary Howie, "Waiting for Criticism." Essentially, he examines the concept of 'waiting' both in its fictional representations and as an apparatus for further considerations of academia. After reading your research proposal, I immeadiately thought of this essay. Maybe you will too?

Hope this helps and good luck!

[fredngeorge]

I sort of missed the boat on the drink of choice discussion, but with rejections starting to pop up on the results board, I figured a revival of that discussion wouldn't be too ill-timed.

My one-and-only drink of chocie is beer, but there are so many to choose from that I never want for variety. I mostly prefer American ales (I can't stand most lagers, and the wheat beer that makes me happy is a rare exception). Favorite major breweries: Stone, Rogue, Sierra Nevada, Firestone, and Lagunitas -- but I'm lucky to be fairly close to some fairly wonderful local breweries as well. I'll have something this weekend and drink to all of you -- here's to very few rejections for GCers!

[Origin=Goal]

Anyone hear from Berkeley?

[HunkyDory]

Anyone hear from Berkeley?

Berkeley has results out for other departments, but the results survey pins them at a Feb. 7-8 date for starting to report results for English.

[Origin=Goal]

Some Comp Lit decisions came in on the 25th last year, heard they send out the first round then. I'm probably just a little eager though!

[rainy_day]

Last night I had a phone call and message from an unknown number. My heart started beating out of my chest! Turns out it was a wrong number, but now I have not been able to stop compulsively checking my email since. This week last year Stanford notified for interviews. Aghhh. Anyone else already irrationally, compulsively checking for news?

[takethiswaltz]

Last night I had a phone call and message from an unknown number. My heart started beating out of my chest! Turns out it was a wrong number, but now I have not been able to stop compulsively checking my email since. This week last year Stanford notified for interviews. Aghhh. Anyone else already irrationally, compulsively checking for news?

Yes, and I've also made note of their area code: 650. Oh, god... what have I turned into?

[Swagato]

Berkeley has results out for other departments, but the results survey pins them at a Feb. 7-8 date for starting to report results for English.

Sorry to butt into the Lit thread, but Berkeley only recently formed an autonomous Film Studies department, moving away from offering the film studies 'track' under the Rhetoric dept. So when you mentioned that they have results out, does that include any news from Film?

[HunkyDory]

Sorry to butt into the Lit thread, but Berkeley only recently formed an autonomous Film Studies department, moving away from offering the film studies 'track' under the Rhetoric dept. So when you mentioned that they have results out, does that include any news from Film?

I'm just going by the results survery, so I have no idea.

[woolferine]

This week last year Stanford notified for interviews. Aghhh. Anyone else already irrationally, compulsively checking for news?

Yesssss. Freaking out. Even though for all we know, they might not do interviews this year or might notify later, etc etc. Not that that's preventing me from manically refreshing my email. lkdjjsosishshnsjejheksisihsb

[isol3]

Yesssss. Freaking out. Even though for all we know, they might not do interviews this year or might notify later, etc etc. Not that that's preventing me from manically refreshing my email. lkdjjsosishshnsjejheksisihsb

I've been told they're doing Skype interviews.

[rainy_day]

I've been told they're doing Skype interviews.

How did you come across this info? This sounds infinitely less fun! But I guess I would only need to buy a nice shirt. I could be naked from the waist down for Skype!

[indalomena]

Last night I had a phone call and message from an unknown number. My heart started beating out of my chest! Turns out it was a wrong number, but now I have not been able to stop compulsively checking my email since. This week last year Stanford notified for interviews. Aghhh. Anyone else already irrationally, compulsively checking for news?

YES, because this was the week last year for Northwestern. First notifications went out on the 26th. Tomorrow could be the day. Obsessively checking everything all the time.

[0000000000AAA]

yes, please tell us about the Stanford skype interviews.