tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post8742707289213131167..comments2023-10-25T05:30:54.507-04:00Comments on Oh Get A Grip!: The Wheels on the BusAshe Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390519279886657608noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post-32547974238792922012014-10-28T17:23:12.789-04:002014-10-28T17:23:12.789-04:00Thank you, Annabeth. Writing a thesis is such a lo...Thank you, Annabeth. Writing a thesis is such a lonely process, and the grad student is usually at the mercy of the advisor. I'm always interested in hearing other thesis stories.Jean Robertahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08805088081675965859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post-4151157691020675612014-10-24T16:54:46.274-04:002014-10-24T16:54:46.274-04:00This is an incredibly suspenseful story of a thesi...This is an incredibly suspenseful story of a thesis. I've heard of tons of cases where the process of a thesis got dragged out to epic proportions, but this one really takes it. I had a tough time with my grad school advisor as well, and it was a unique and lonely sort of misery. I'm sorry you were at the mercy of the medieval structure for so long (my guy at least did get me out quickly). <br /><br />I would totally have lost my mind about the typist. Proofreading errors in my work drive me to distraction, particularly when they're not my fault. I'm glad you got the recognition in the end, though!Annabeth Leonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07455191827664110878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post-29010603975291274592014-10-24T16:00:03.775-04:002014-10-24T16:00:03.775-04:00Thank you for commenting, all.
Spencer, I've a...Thank you for commenting, all.<br />Spencer, I've actually written quite a bit about my life in 2 escort agencies in the 1980s when I was working on my thesis and having trouble paying the rent, so I thought I might not need to go into detail in this post. Sacchi, you're right about the significance of this as part of my quest. What I thought at the time was that I had to serve Aphrodite for awhile so I could earn the right to serve Athena, the goddess to whom I felt I had been committed since birth.<br />Re the Snake Lady and my thesis advisor, I felt more betrayed by him than by her. My<br />advisor and his wife were a British faculty couple who had known my parents for years, and I had babysat their 3 daughters. When he agreed to supervise my thesis, I thought he was on my side. Apparently not so much. (Too late, I realized that he was opposed to the intro of new courses on women writers & that Mrs. Advisor had much less education than her husband. In short, he didn't seem to be a great fan of more women in the Ivory Tower.) At some point in the process, Prof Advisor seemed reluctant to get back to me at all, and when I phoned him, he would point out that he was busy. Then Snake Lady would send one of her written warnings. I sought help from the other members of the committee as well as from the head of the English Department, who all told me to "work closely" with my advisor. Ultimately, I suspect the department head told my advisor that he had an obligation to supervise my thesis, and he had to get on with it.<br />Daddy X, a thesis for a degree in English (as distinct from Creative Writing) can't be a novel. I wrote an analysis of a 5-novel series called "Children of Violence," written by Rhodesian-born British novelist Doris Lessing. I still have a pile of rough notes that I can't bear to throw out. When I changed offices last summer, though, I found several of Snake Lady's warning letters in my files, and I shredded them. That was satisfying. Thanks for your votes of confidence!Jean Robertahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08805088081675965859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post-70282451621350947382014-10-24T11:35:19.203-04:002014-10-24T11:35:19.203-04:00Medieval indeed! Makes me feel better about not go...Medieval indeed! Makes me feel better about not going to college. Sounds like my Catholic high school years, where they first demean a person to create the proverbial 'blank slate', then fill in the blanks for you. In any case, no surprise you aced the final with your novel. <br /><br />Had to laugh about the 'splell chelk' comment.Daddy Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12927663248424944119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post-7214995269843648152014-10-24T10:50:14.572-04:002014-10-24T10:50:14.572-04:00Your trials and tribulations remind me of Pilgrim&...Your trials and tribulations remind me of Pilgrim's Progress, which was a quest story if ever there was one. On another tack, in high fantasy terms, your Snake Lady was clearly a Dragon Lady, your sex work the obligatory low point in servitude, or something rather like it, and your typist's errors the final volley of demonic slings and arrows even after the magical summer of progress. Sacchi Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10801164916418570059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156334464585894857.post-1964103573704000882014-10-24T07:17:41.390-04:002014-10-24T07:17:41.390-04:00Jean:
A harrowing story indeed. Courage, persisten...Jean:<br />A harrowing story indeed. Courage, persistence and the kindness of strangers. It's an epic tale. You should be proud.<br /><br />You skipped over one part very lightly; <br />Sex work brought in quick cash, but it was hardly a long-term career<br />Whoa, maybe its just me. How did you ever keep this fact away from the prying eyes of the folks in your department? How did this begin? How did you manage to convince yourself it was okay? There is a whole novel just in this part of your story and it could have brought your noble aspirations to a crashing halt.<br /><br />You did all that for a Masters Degree? Wow.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15484640447109164744noreply@blogger.com