I was a bit removed from the blogosphere this week because I was doing some of the hardest reading of my life (says the specialist in critical theory). I am taking a seminar this quarter on Self Psychology and I will sum it up by saying that Lacan was not nearly the only Psychoanalist in love with diagrams. Honestly, it’s thrilling, but it is some rather dense business.
I did have some great news this week! My paper was accepted to the Derrida Today conference in NYC this spring. That conference is a few weeks after the ACLA’s annual convention which is at NYU this year and I’m already dividing up all of the sights and family visits to make the most of the trips. What are some of your favorite Manhattan spots? I have been wanting to go to up the Statue of Liberty forever, so I bought some tickets for that right away! I then made the mistake of watching videos of the climb to the crown and, well, I’m not sure I’m going to make it that high up. 354 steps. 19 inch wide staircase. And that staircase is spiral, so it’s an extra wonky 19 inches. We shall see…we shall see…
I also updated my C.V. some 12,000 odd times this week. I went to add that one conference and then poof, my whole afternoon disappeared. I referenced The Professor Is In’s blog and found her C.V. tips quite useful. Some of them contradicted some things advisors have had me add before, so it doesn’t follow her exact specifications. If you’re just starting out with your C.V. or in need of major revisions, I definitely recommend checking our her C.V. rules.
One thing that has always been so difficult for me C.V.-wise is dealing with teaching. I love teaching and for me it is the best part of our profession. I am also proud of the teaching I’ve done. At UC Davis I had the chance to teach for about five different programs and design dozens of my own courses, so when it comes to downplaying teaching on the C.V., I feel like I’m cutting myself off at the legs. I’ve resisted moving it down for years, but Dr. Karen made one distinction that really struck me:
Principle of Peer Review.
The organizing principle of the CV is prioritizing peer review and competitiveness. Professional appointments are extremely competitive, and go first. Publications are highly competitive, and go second, with peer reviewed publications taking place of honor. Awards and honors reveal high levels of competition, as do fellowships and grants. Invited talks suggest a higher level of individual recognition and honor than a volunteered paper to a conference—this is reflected in the order. Teaching in this context, ie, as a list of courses taught, is not competitive, and thus is de-prioritized. Extra training you seek yourself, voluntarily, is fundamentally non-competitive. Etc. Etc.
So, with that I moved conferences, publications, and awards all above teaching. Sigh. Do you folks have any thoughts on this? What did you take into account when organizing your own C.V.? I’d love to hear your comments below!
