It occurred to me after writing the introductory post that some readers might have a reflexive response to my focus on identities. Some readers might interpret this to mean that the blog will be devoted to African American perspectives or advice pertinent only to black academics, despite the fact that I never said or implied that at all. Anyone who reaches such a conclusion, I'd argue, reveals his or her own biases, not mine.
Nevertheless, that point might need some clarification. Folks, it's like this: Black perspectives are human perspectives. My life as a person of African descent affects the way I see the world in ways too numerous to count, but that doesn't mean that everything I see or do is filtered through that lens, nor does it mean that I am incapable of understanding how the world works in a broader sense. Quite the opposite: many Americans are so incapable of recognizing that black lives and perspectives are human lives and perspectives, that they cannot bring themselves to grant a black person's words and ideas any authority. I've encountered this so often within and outside of academia, to recount the stories would simply bore you to tears. This is not to say that I won't occasionally go down that path, of course.
Most of the stories and advice you will find on this blog apply to everyone in the academy. I've attended or participated in so many interviews, committee meetings, panels, receptions, conferences, symposia, colloquia, and other events that allow me a certain insight into academia's workings. In most, I did not consciously attend as an African American qua African American, but simply as yet another participant. Yet my identity often came into play in subtle ways. That additional perspective could be no more than an annoyance or no less than a revealing moment. It depends.
In sum: If you believe I have no authority to speak as I do, then I suggest you bow out now; I can do nothing for you. If not, then continue, enjoy, and comment, please.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Introduction: Oh, Goody. Yet Another Academic Blog about Life in Academe.
If the title of this blog post matches what you thought once you learned of the blog, I don't blame you. Between the Chronicle of Higher Education's various blogs and columns, with their attendant comments, numerous books on the follies of academic life, and countless personal blogs like this one, it's clear that people working in higher education have a lot on their chest. Without surveying every single blog on the internet--yeah, right--I can say with confidence that my blog is not unique. As the Book of Ecclesiastes says, "There is nothing new under the sun." Nearly every idea and argument I plan to write here has been posted, discussed, and lambasted multiple times somewhere.
How am I different? In two ways, I think. First, I'm an African American male who has made academia his career. I'm also a tenured English professor. You simply will not find that many of us in the academy. Our experiences vary widely according to our generation or age, our personal circumstances and orientations, the regions and states in which we live, the types of institutions where we teach, and so on. I daresay, nevertheless, that we have quite a few common experiences among us. African American women academics share most of these, of course, but often have to deal with other situations as women, and specifically black women. Mix that up with any Queer identity (i.e., Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, etc.), and black women academics have many additional issues to cope with.
I do not claim to represent all of these identities or to understand all of the issues that might attend occupying them. I'm straight. I'm married. And lest you've forgotten, dear reader, I'm a male. My perspectives will be my own, based upon my own experiences, stories I've heard from friends, imperfect memories and appreciations, and the like.
What will be my focus? Primarily, it will be advice about the academy for anyone who's interested, but particularly for graduate students and junior faculty (untenured, tenure-track) in the humanities. (And yes, I know that some readers don't think they're "junior" to anyone, but let's not stand on principle, hm? You know what I mean, and you know that you know what I mean.)
The advice it to ensure that if you are in the academy, you will not make the same mistakes I've made, or if you do, they won't be too painful. If you are outside the academy, you'll gain some perspective on our world free from the usual spin that mass market books, pundits, and shouting heads on cable news often provide. In other words, less b.s., more straight talk.
That's my modus operandi. I try to get to the heart of the matter most of the time, and find little benefit in talking around issues or using jargon. This doesn't mean that this will be a gossip blog; beyond the fact that people's reputations could be harmed, it's simply unprofessional and fruitless to engage in academic gossip publicly. Believe me, academicians gossip almost continuously. You will find that elsewhere. I will make every effort to protect the guilty and innocent alike. If you think I'm talking about you, chances are you're wrong...or right. It's like This is Spinal Tap: most rock musicians who've seen that film swear it's about them because the outrages depicted on screen are so common. Yet the film is composed of many different rock bands' experiences. That's what you'll find here.
So let's get to work.
If the title of this blog post matches what you thought once you learned of the blog, I don't blame you. Between the Chronicle of Higher Education's various blogs and columns, with their attendant comments, numerous books on the follies of academic life, and countless personal blogs like this one, it's clear that people working in higher education have a lot on their chest. Without surveying every single blog on the internet--yeah, right--I can say with confidence that my blog is not unique. As the Book of Ecclesiastes says, "There is nothing new under the sun." Nearly every idea and argument I plan to write here has been posted, discussed, and lambasted multiple times somewhere.
How am I different? In two ways, I think. First, I'm an African American male who has made academia his career. I'm also a tenured English professor. You simply will not find that many of us in the academy. Our experiences vary widely according to our generation or age, our personal circumstances and orientations, the regions and states in which we live, the types of institutions where we teach, and so on. I daresay, nevertheless, that we have quite a few common experiences among us. African American women academics share most of these, of course, but often have to deal with other situations as women, and specifically black women. Mix that up with any Queer identity (i.e., Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, etc.), and black women academics have many additional issues to cope with.
I do not claim to represent all of these identities or to understand all of the issues that might attend occupying them. I'm straight. I'm married. And lest you've forgotten, dear reader, I'm a male. My perspectives will be my own, based upon my own experiences, stories I've heard from friends, imperfect memories and appreciations, and the like.
What will be my focus? Primarily, it will be advice about the academy for anyone who's interested, but particularly for graduate students and junior faculty (untenured, tenure-track) in the humanities. (And yes, I know that some readers don't think they're "junior" to anyone, but let's not stand on principle, hm? You know what I mean, and you know that you know what I mean.)
The advice it to ensure that if you are in the academy, you will not make the same mistakes I've made, or if you do, they won't be too painful. If you are outside the academy, you'll gain some perspective on our world free from the usual spin that mass market books, pundits, and shouting heads on cable news often provide. In other words, less b.s., more straight talk.
That's my modus operandi. I try to get to the heart of the matter most of the time, and find little benefit in talking around issues or using jargon. This doesn't mean that this will be a gossip blog; beyond the fact that people's reputations could be harmed, it's simply unprofessional and fruitless to engage in academic gossip publicly. Believe me, academicians gossip almost continuously. You will find that elsewhere. I will make every effort to protect the guilty and innocent alike. If you think I'm talking about you, chances are you're wrong...or right. It's like This is Spinal Tap: most rock musicians who've seen that film swear it's about them because the outrages depicted on screen are so common. Yet the film is composed of many different rock bands' experiences. That's what you'll find here.
So let's get to work.
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