English Literature PhD 2008

[Minnesotan]

half the world doesn't they think can do what you do, no?

I tell them I'm going to be a doctor of arguing, and they say, "No you're not!"

I generally win with the trusty, "Yes I am - infinity!"

[warmclay]

I'm new to this place, and I like it, so I figured I'd throw my towel in with the rest of you. Let's see now...I'm applying to 11 schools, which I thought was a ridiculous amount (so much for that).

UChicago (Ha.)

Vanderbilt (What? No takers?)

Penn (I used to live in philly...)

UDel (but now i live in delaware)

Northwestern (Because Chicago wasn't enough, apparently)

Duke (Because I'm a masochist)

WUSTL (Great Placement & Funding)

UFlorida (...)

UPitt (ah...pennsylvania)

UMinn (they have sci-fi/fantasy conferences that I would, otherwise, have to travel to attend)

UWisconsin (right...)

I didn't take the subject test because I had neither the time nor money to do the blasted thing the way I wanted to. That sure narrowed my choices I also didn't realize that Wisconsin needed the subject test until I sent everything in. Ha. Geography would be a major selling point for me if I thought any of the schools were sold on me to begin with.

My top choices right now (because they seem to fluctuate by the hour) are WUSTL and Vanderbilt. I want to look at works of fantasy/sci-fi that use a synthesis of literary and political theory to question humanity's fundamental need for hierarchical governmental structures. Butler, Orwell, Clarke, Asimov, (Phillp K.) Dick...stuff like that.

Was the "nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking-chairs" comment a reference to what rogue said in the 90's x-men cartoon, or am I just ridiculous?

[Minnesotan]

warmclay said:

Was the "nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking-chairs" comment a reference to what rogue said in the 90's x-men cartoon, or am I just ridiculous?

The "Nerdy English Grad Student" bar has just been raised, ladies and gents.

Heh... welcome aboard, Clay. Your dissertation topic sounds like it would be a lot of fun to work on. I was thinking about proposing a study of dystopian literature, but that has been overdone. Without some historical, thematic, or other-disciplinary criterion by which to narrow the scope of the study, and make it unique, it would be a lot of fun but hardly original, important scholarship. I like what you're up to, though. It's an interesting angle of approach.

So, I take it you don't like your chances at the U of M or Madison? That's too bad. They are both really good schools, in comparatively nice areas (other top-15 programs are in New Haven, Providence, and various parts of New Jersey - no thanks!)

[antsy]

Was the "nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking-chairs" comment a reference to what rogue said in the 90's x-men cartoon, or am I just ridiculous?

:mrgreen: That's hilarious! I don't doubt that Rogue said that in the 90s, and since you're the critic, and I'm (supposed to be) the poet here, then sure, why not?

If you do a quick google on the phrase, however, you'll see that it's a Southern cliche. I'm originally from Texas (for the record)...and that's my context. Nevertheless, you raise interesting questions about intertextuality and how reference actually works in the "postmodern" age. In other words, despite the speaker's lack of insight into the, potentially, referential nature of the idiom, clearly, for a certain set of readers, traces from a mass market idiom, like a comic book, are a primary, rather than a secondary reading. Indeed, it's even possible, that the origin for the speaker may have been that very mass market medium (I honestly don't know where I heard it first; I simply think of it as a Southern idiom that describes an extreme sense of nervousness).

What then are the implications of these (mis)readings? Doubtless, the X-men writers originally included such phrases for a sense of "genuineness" to Rogue's Southern character. But now, after her character has become, in some ways, iconic perhaps that verisimilitude is now an emblematic representation of what it means to be Southern?

If you're clever enough (and bored enough) I don't doubt you could pull a paper from that...."Representations of the 'Southern' in the X-Men" or something....of course, the fact that it is the X-Men makes the question doubly interesting, raising all sorts of eerie questions about identity and the way(s) in which we constitute identity.

I didn't take the subject test because I had neither the time nor money to do the blasted thing the way I wanted to. That sure narrowed my choices I also didn't realize that Wisconsin needed the subject test until I sent everything in. Ha. Geography would be a major selling point for me if I thought any of the schools were sold on me to begin with.

Oddly, I did exactly the opposite. Only two of the programs I was interested in required the subject test. Yet, I sent it to all 5....I wish I could have the 15 bucks back from ETS for that extra score report.

I think, if possible, you're wise to avoid the thing. It's a silly, silly test, which I can't imagine to be predictive of anything other than one's willingness and ability to withstand torture (maybe that's why we have to take it?) Good luck not taking it!

[warmclay]

What then are the implications of these (mis)readings? Doubtless, the X-men writers originally included such phrases for a sense of "genuineness" to Rogue's Southern character. But now, after her character has become, in some ways, iconic perhaps that verisimilitude is now an emblematic representation of what it means to be Southern?

Can I have a pocket version of you? I think i'm in love...

[Minnesotan]

It's a silly, silly test, which I can't imagine to be predictive of anything other than one's willingness and ability to withstand torture (maybe that's why we have to take it?)

Who needs a subject test for that? I wrote an MA thesis!

[antsy]

Can I have a pocket version of you? I think i'm in love...

I hope the adcoms feel the same way....except for the shrinking part. I don't want into grad school that badly (I think).

Of course, I was going to say something clever about Lyotard & simulacra...but it's been done, plus my wife just sent me an email teasing me for my frequent use of the term "postmodern."

[antsy]

Who needs a subject test for that? I wrote an MA thesis!

And you're claiming you want to write a dissertation!

[Minnesotan]

No, I claim I want a PhD. Writing a dissertation seems to be the only way to do that, so I'm stuck with another multi-year research project.

If you know of any coursework only PhD options, I'm getting my bribes and statements of purpose ready.

[rising_star]

warmclay said:

My top choices right now (because they seem to fluctuate by the hour) are WUSTL and Vanderbilt. I want to look at works of fantasy/sci-fi that use a synthesis of literary and political theory to question humanity's fundamental need for hierarchical governmental structures. Butler, Orwell, Clarke, Asimov, (Phillp K.) Dick...stuff like that.

Your research interests fascinate me. Actually, your entire profile fascinates me. I'm interested to see what shakes out for you though I'm not in English nor did I apply to any of those schools...

[bluewhisky]

I want to look at works of fantasy/sci-fi that use a synthesis of literary and political theory to question humanity's fundamental need for hierarchical governmental structures. Butler, Orwell, Clarke, Asimov, (Phillp K.) Dick...stuff like that.

Hi warmclay! welcome! interesting research topic...one of my main areas of interests includes something similar...the representation of literature in dystopian fiction...1984, Farenheit 451, WE...also the idea of the "blank book". i applied to 10 school, went thoroughly Broke, AND did my gre subject. i'm now passing the bowl around for "save the ambitious graduate student fund".

[warmclay]

Quote

Your research interests fascinate me. Actually, your entire profile fascinates me. I'm interested to see what shakes out for you though I'm not in English nor did I apply to any of those schools...

Thanks. It's good to hear that my interests aren't as idiocyncratic as I first thought. Now, if only i'd upgraded my mind-trick ability to "persuade" the adcoms...

Whatever happens, you guys and gals will be (some of) the first to know.

Quote

i'm now passing the bowl around for "save the ambitious graduate student fund".

Now there is an idea I just might steal... Thanks for the welcome. Where did you apply?

[Minnesotan]

I tried passing the hat in my family, and someone ran off with it. Now I'm broke, and I don't have a hat!

[rising_star]

I tried passing the hat in my family, and someone ran off with it. Now I'm broke, and I don't have a hat!

That sucks! Isn't it cold in Canada? How are you not going to die?!?

Ergo, your family not only didn't give you money but took your hat in an effort to lead to an untimely demise on your part. How cruel! They're worse than an adcom.

[Minnesotan]

At least the adcoms aren't the ones extorting $75/application from me. I blame the Ivory Tower - the cost of whitewash is high, indeed!

[workinginnyc]

this is really refreshing that so many people have serious interests in Sci-Fi, not that its completely out of the blue, but its still good to hear.... I did some stuff with time travel in Pynchon in my thesis, though it was more of an excursion for another point than a focus... has anyone read Jameson's book on sci-fi? every time I go to Saint Marks (a great book store in nyc with tons of theory and poetry and other stuff that B & N doesn't carry) I stare at it and almost buy it.

[schamber]

So, hey, do any of those supposed three Harvard acceptances on the results page belong to anyone here? I think it's a hoax, although why someone would do this, I don't know. Harvard acceptances weren't sent out until Feb. 21-22 last year, and then by email, not phone. The date of posting is 1/20, but the date of notification is the 21st. 1/20 was a Sunday; 1/21, today, is a university holiday. The deadline was 1/2, only 19 days ago.

I already posted this on eljay, but I'm having my former advisor talk with some faculty members he knows. He thinks it's highly unlikely that this is true.

[Minnesotan]

It seems ridiculously early for English programs, especially since Harvard acceptances came in fairly late last year.

[farty14]

What is eljay?

[Minnesotan]

LJ = Live Journal

They have a Who Got In? and a Grad Apps forum. At the Who Got In? forum, there's usually a name attached to the acceptance claims, so you know if some troll is yanking your chain. Otherwise, it's much like this place, only harder to navigate (and the mods aren't as smart, charming, and ruggedly good looking).

[picklejar]

Now that English admissions are starting to trickle in, I'm going 10x more insane. I'm no mathematician, but I'm pretty sure that's an impossible amount of insane. Never mind that they're to schools to which I didn't apply...doesn't matter to my poor, crazy brain.

[Minnesotan]

I'm not sure personal insanity is finite - I seem to get curiouser and curiouser as my time in academia adds up.

[bluewhisky]

warmclay said:

Now there is an idea I just might steal... Thanks for the welcome. Where did you apply?

At the following places:

Stanford

Tufts

Berkeley

WashU

Virginia

Columbia

Duke

Yale

UMD

Boston

i feel ill, i feel ill...most of the day. it doesn't get better does it?

have offers actually started coming in? its tooo early!!! im not prepared!

[pnagy01]

Well, it turns out that the mailbox does not magically produce incoming mail before the truck arrives. Anyone else irrationally checking his or her mail 30 times a day? Any more rumors on acceptances? *cowers*

[dbw000]

hey all,

i've never posted on here before, but i'm into sharing information for the sake of everyone's insanity in this INSANELY anxiety-producing time.

i got an email acceptance from johns hopkins today for the PhD program. surprisingly early, but i guess february is starting to creep up on us. good luck everyone!

--danny