to those who have applied to Emory University English: why?

[asleepawake]

Whoever ended up with my copy got treated to the most vulgar margin notes in margin note history.

 

I doubt it! I bought a used copy of Indian Killer wherein the first 100 or so pages were filled with comments like "What the fuck is this bitch up to!?" and "OH HELL NO HE DID NOT!" Sadly, this brilliant annotator didn't seem to finish the novel. 

[Drol Noryb]

I doubt it! I bought a used copy of Indian Killer wherein the first 100 or so pages were filled with comments like "What the fuck is this bitch up to!?" and "OH HELL NO HE DID NOT!" Sadly, this brilliant annotator didn't seem to finish the novel. 

 

I love awkward margin notes. I remember a copy of Walden from high school that had the insightful note "light=opposite of dark."

[ComeBackZinc]

I'm still amused that this person was apparently unaware that, when you're in a graduate program, you don't always get along with all of your peers or all of your professors. Who knew!

[jrockford27]

I doubt it! I bought a used copy of Indian Killer wherein the first 100 or so pages were filled with comments like "What the fuck is this bitch up to!?" and "OH HELL NO HE DID NOT!" Sadly, this brilliant annotator didn't seem to finish the novel. 

 

I wish I could remember what book it was that I wrote "HOLY SHIT!" in the margins of.  I don't normally sell back my books, but I sold back that one because I thought my marginalia was too profane not to share.

[asleepawake]

I wish I could remember what book it was that I wrote "HOLY SHIT!" in the margins of.  I don't normally sell back my books, but I sold back that one because I thought my marginalia was too profane not to share.

 

Yes, I want to know exactly where this occurred! 

[jrockford27]

Yes, I want to know exactly where this occurred! 

 

Actually, I think it was in my Norton Anthology of British Literature, Vol 1.  It was various pieces.  I think the "HOLY SHIT!" was near the end of Oroonoko, when the title character is being disemboweled whilst blithely smoking a pipe.

Edited March 13, 2013 by jrockford27

[emoryenglishphd]

A professor threatened to fail graduate students because they posted their responses late. After several offenses, students complained about her. The male professors laughed them off, explaining that she's just a crazy, psychotic woman.

[emoryenglishphd]

The chair of the department had no clue about departmental policy concerning coursework even though he had been chair for more than two years and had advised grad students for several. When he "discovered" it, he told his students not to follow it because he thought it was ridiculous. He bought gifts for grad students using department funding.

[emoryenglishphd]

One professor served on a student's exam committee, helped develop her lists, coached her through the process, passed her, and then abandoned her committee because he didn't like a topic she was working on. Another professor abandoned a student because she was not pursuing a research career. Also, he didn't like what she wore to the exam defense.

[emoryenglishphd]

Grad students have a strong distaste for Rhet/Comp and fought the department on a recent hire because he didn't "teach literature." He teaches writing ... and literature.

[emoryenglishphd]

I suppose this one's not so noteworthy: grad students steal ideas from each other. Professors also steal from grad students.

[asleepawake]

I sure am glad I'm not going to Emory... you would be my peer.

[AurantiacaStella]

Sadly, many similar things could be said about many programs. No department is perfect, since each one is filled with fallible profs and students. And unfortunately, in general, academe is a very disfunctional and sometimes discriminatory envrionment.

 

Edit: All we can do is work to change it from the inside. This thread certainly isn't contributing to academia's evolution in a positive way.

Edited March 13, 2013 by AurantiacaStella

[jrockford27]

I sure am glad I'm not going to Emory... you would be my peer.

 

Not because it is, apparently, a Lovecraftian nightmare where the living envy the dead?

 

Artist's rendering of emoryenglishphd's thesis defense.

 

Edited March 13, 2013 by jrockford27

[emoryenglishphd]

asleepawake, grad students in the program like me, some even love me. They told me so. I've asked why. They told me it's because I'm honest.

[Drol Noryb]

asleepawake, grad students in the program like me, some even love me. They told me so. I've asked why. They told me it's because I'm honest.

 

This person's name wasn't by chance "anotheranotheremoryenglishphd"?

[jrockford27]

This person's name wasn't by chance "anotheranotheremoryenglishphd"?

 

Actually, emoryenglishphd's mother is also pursuing her PhD at Emory.

[asleepawake]

Not because it is, apparently, a Lovecraftian nightmare where the living envy the dead?

 

Artist's rendering of emoryenglishphd's thesis defense.

 

 

I am out of upvotes so you can have this

 

 

[asleepawake]

asleepawake, grad students in the program like me, some even love me. They told me so. I've asked why. They told me it's because I'm honest.

 

Soo... because you're so honest, you're going to reveal who you are, and then make honest formal complains about the most severe of these issues with your University, instead of on an anonymous internet forum?

[ComeBackZinc]

asleepawake, grad students in the program like me, some even love me. They told me so. I've asked why. They told me it's because I'm honest.

 

... you seriously asked people why they liked you? Wasn't that awkward?

[yellow.wallpaper]

First of all, what is with this thread?

 

 

 

Soo... because you're so honest, you're going to reveal who you are, and then make honest formal complains about the most severe of these issues with your University, instead of on an anonymous internet forum?

 

And I'm sure that the picture below explains everyemoryphdstudents reasons for his/her complaints: through an anon forum.

 

[thestage]

guys, instead of mocking this guy, who may or may not even be fucking himself over, you should consider the possibility that he is not making things up. I know everyone here wants to live in a world of unicorns and rainbows where every program is the best thing ever and where jobs fall from the heavens and professors are appointed by god himself from among his most trusted angels--but sometimes the world is not inside your head, and sometimes it's even ok to know that.

[Swagato]

I agree with what thestage says here. I've observed this thread with some fascination. I don't think any of us are in a position to mock the Emory poster, and I'm honestly a bit surprised that so many of you are basically piling on them. Do you know what the scenario is over there? All we have is this person reeling off tale after tale of dysfunction. The simplest explanation may well be that they have an axe to grind against the department and are either airing dirty laundry in public, or are simply slandering the department. On the other hand, it's very well known that departments suffer from weirdness (to put it lightly) at many, many institutions. At least part or all of what the Emory poster alleges may quite well be true.

Edited March 13, 2013 by Swagato

[AurantiacaStella]

I agree that almost every department is very dysfunctional, but it seems to me that some of these statements must be one-sided or distorted.

[yellow.wallpaper]

I don't disagree with complaining, but I do feel this person could have just been honest from the beginning and stated his/her complaints without any ultimate motives or extra accounts. I'm sure this is a very welcoming forum. I mean, we could actually try to help.