That meme, and Consuela

[quislibet]

I'd invite you all to share an entirely imaginary memory of me, as per that meme goin' round with all the cool kids, except then you might expect me to reciprocate and then if I didn't or if I wrote you a lame one you'd be all "this sucks" and I'd be all "like, sorry!" and stuff.

So do one if you want, but no promises.

In other news, the advisor has suggested ("heretically") that I keep writing "the chapter" at the projected out-of-control length, cut it into a couple chapters, finish the thematically related chapter that currently exists as an already-written conference paper, write an intro. and conclusion, and ditch half of my proposed dissertation, finishing a draft before I leave in October, fine-tuning it while in France, and then coming back to defend in the spring. Then instead of "all women in all of Tacitus" it would focus mostly on Agrippina the Elder and Agrippina the Younger as sort of Tacitean "everywomen." I could run with that, but part of what made the diss. seem worthwhile was the comprehensiveness, so far not done satisfactorily. On the other hand, the two "ditched" chapters would require complete mastery of all representations of women in Greek and Latin literature up to the end of the first century AD in order for me to do them justice, so maybe he has a point.

We shall see.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Comprehensive? Dissertation? Ha ha hahhhaahahahah [hysterical laughter]

Sara of the Friday defense date

[clayrobeson.livejournal.com]

Wow, I can NOT forget the time you translated the Bible into Latin, and the entire internet thought you were some sort of hysterical genius! Who would have thought English to Latin translations could be so FUNNY!

And they say that it's only the platypus that shows god's sense of humor.

[quislibet.livejournal.com]

This is about translating that bible of yours, isn't it? I'll get to it!
;)

[clayrobeson.livejournal.com]

BAHAHAHAH! You know, I'd totally forgotten about that. I was really just dissing on the Bible.

[atalanta.livejournal.com]

cut it down!
you'll thank yourself later.

also, I think the post-defense "but I didn't really do what I hoped I'd do" is kind of inevitable.

[quislibet.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's the logical thing. Except that without being all comprehensivey it will be harder to come up with something that hasn't been done before.

[quislibet.livejournal.com]

He suggested it verbally, so no 50-page detailed letter for me.

[quislibet.livejournal.com]

... except I bet I can look forward to such letters next year!

[quislibet.livejournal.com]

Actually the current AA usually gets it in one. Some kinda special handwriting-reading training, I think.

[jdm314.livejournal.com]

Remember that one time we got together at the conventiculum and wrote poetry with cnoocy? That was pretty cool.

As shocking as it can be to have to modify your disertation, it seems to be pretty common.

[quislibet.livejournal.com]

... and then we had sandwiches at that one place in downtown Lexington, the one with the sourdough buns, where we saved that UCLA archaeology professor from the Yakuza.

[jdm314.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if it hadn't been for Akihiko and his yakuza training CD's, we would all be short a finger or two. Gotta love those sourdough buns though!

[ravurian]

We met in Dublin, in a queue for the train to Roscommon. You were struggling with a suitcase and tears, and I offered you my only clean napkin and a sympathetic smile. It was raining heavily, so I pretended it was only rainwater on your cheeks - made some clumsy comment intended to unembarrass you - but you were fiery even while wet and miserable, and utterly defiant in the face of my gauche Brit-boy charm. You wiped your nose on the sleeve of your jacket and gathered me up with your eyes. You suggested coffee. We settled on tea. The hands of the station clock moved backwards - I think that was your doing; I'm sure I'd remember if it was me.

At the cafe, you drew my portrait in rainwater on the back of the menu. I swirled a rough picture of you in mauve-gray cigarette smoke. I remember seeing the reflection of wingbeats in your gaze. You told me the story of your tears, and I came out to you over crumpets. Neither of us was surprised.

Do you remember? There and then we swapped plans - you headed off to my Great Uncle's farm, and I went to meet her instead. It was three years ago, yesterday. I just wanted to thank you, and remind you. I still wear your tear on a chain round my neck. Do you have my wingfeather?

[quislibet.livejournal.com]

Had to eBay that sucker. Sometimes you gotta move on. Sure, magical day and all. Let the healing begin, like Vaseline Intensive Care, only less squishy. But things are different, now. Knew you'd understand.

[ravurian]

Yeah, totally. Never quite dared to tell you I was wrong about the gay thing and married her, your heartbreak notwithstanding. No hard feelings, eh?

[quislibet.livejournal.com]

You bastard!

No, no, I can't mean that, not after all this time. I wish you every happiness.

More inappropriate-anthropomorphizing-of-the-dissertation advice from ASG

[whatifoundthere.livejournal.com]

I'll give you the same advice that one of my professors gave me. Sit down with all the women you're cutting out of the dissertation, and explain to them politely that you're going to focus on Agrippina for a little while. Promise them that you'll get to them later. In future articles. In a book. Lots of chances to give them a chance to shine.

If they're anything like the guys I cut out of my dissertation, they'll understand.

P.S. My most vivid memories of you are from the afternoon we spent in the belltower, smoking opium and rewriting the lyrics to Girls On Film so that they made the Marxist message of the original song more explicit. I sometimes miss those innocent student days -- but given the future that you were eventually to enjoy with Columbia Records, I think it's all for the best that we both went back to writing completely apolitical Broadway musicals.

Re: More inappropriate-anthropomorphizing-of-the-dissertation advice from ASG

[quislibet.livejournal.com]

Sit down with all the women...

I need to figure out how to take just what I need from them without letting them take over my attention. Oldest story in the world.

apolitical Broadway musicals

Yeah, like LoveSpells. A stage adaptation of selections from the Papyri Graeci Magici shoulda been H-U-G-E. Had everything -- David Hasselhof, creatures from the Henson workshop, choreography by the Alvin Ailey people, hummable toe-tappin' hits like "MASKELLI MASKELLO" and "Burn the Hair! It is good!" -- I just don't understand what went wrong, and I never will.

[cook-ting.livejournal.com]

Remember that time, like 1997, when you looked across a Back Court table at a chain smoking goth boy and said, "I should probably get on with that dissertation at some point"?

The boy said, "Heineken? Fuck that shit! Pabst Blue Ribbon!!!"

Then you started to beat him with your shoe.

Good times.

[quislibet.livejournal.com]

Then there was the time you rode the oversized Comm. Ave. rats to victory, winning by a whisker, and we all broke into Mugar and partied in the Periodicals room until dawn.