Quick Catch-up

[steepholm]

I've not posted recently, so here (as much for my own future benefit as anything) is a quick run-down of what's been happening in the last couple of weeks. Imagine that I've written entertainingly and at length about each of these, as they fully deserve. I shall try to do better.

a) I put my house on the market. I want a place with a spare room and a kitchen larger than a malfunctioning TARDIS - but hopefully pretty close to where I am at the moment.

b) I failed to win the BA Small Research Grant I'd applied for, to go to Japan next year and research the image of the UK in Japan. All alternative funding ideas welcome, no matter how outlandish! (I'll go anyway, mind.)

c) I finished the critical book I've been pottering around with for years. It's now being read by a colleague, who's making positive noises so far. I'd wanted to call it The LITMUS Papers (standing for "Lies I Tell My Undergraduate Students") but my publisher insists on something much duller.

d) I should be preparing for the new term - but how much more pleasant to go back and tinker with the book (see c)!

Comments

[sovay]

<>i>c) I finished the critical book I've been pottering around with for years.

Congratulations! What is the much duller current title?

[steepholm]

I can barely bring myself to remember it, but something on the lines of "Questioning Theory and Practice in Literary Studies".

[sovay]

I can barely bring myself to remember it, but something on the lines of "Questioning Theory and Practice in Literary Studies".

. . . Can you just smush that in as a subtitle? I like yours better.

[ethelmay]

One of steepholm's great talents is for titles. It seems such a shame to waste that.

[steepholm]

It's nice of you to say so. I've been quite proud of some of my LJ post titles, in particular (though not this one). Downhill from there, of course...

[steepholm]

That makes sense to me too, but apparently it's all about search engine optimisation: the stuff that appears before the colon needs to contain words that Google will recognise as relevant. (This sounds like nonsense to me, but it's the official line.)

[sovay]

apparently it's all about search engine optimisation: the stuff that appears before the colon needs to contain words that Google will recognise as relevant.

Human brain optimization is going to remember The LITMUS Papers better.

[shewhomust]

Good luck with the house! Is the plan to sell first, house hunt afterwards?

[steepholm]

I'm trying to do both simultaneously, but it's early days yet.

[thistleingrey]

Best wishes for an easy path!

[steepholm]

Thank you! I shall try to update here, hopefully without becoming a bore about it.

[thistleingrey]

No, not at all--househunting and -selling tales are always good, especially without having to suffer through the paperwork oneself. :/ I remember realizing in grad school (long before owning anything) that property has always been hard, else there wouldn't be these auld treatises about how to manage property....

[strange_complex]

Congratulations on the book! See if they'll accept [Something Dull]: The LITMUS Papers. It would bridge the gulf between being easily searchable and being memorable to human beings.

[steepholm]

I may well do that. Though it will help if I can get them to make a cover that spells out the acronym, even if it's not part of the official title.

[strange_complex]

That also sounds like a good solution.

[cmcmck]

Good luck with the move.

We know that one as you know!

[steepholm]

Indeed - I enjoyed virtual househunting with you! Mine will be far less spectacular, though.

[cmcmck]

It'll still be fun to see what you find!