I have a favor to ask of you: it’s not really much and this time of year, you might be spending a lot of time in the particular location anyway. I have a birthday wish. I realise it’s a few weeks away yet, but you need some preparation time. The good news is that it…
Category: academia
Unexpected
Well, the most unexpected thing yesterday was the snow that fell after the weather report suggested no more than the possibility of some light rain. My first reaction was disbelief, then dismay as it continued to fall. We finally accumulated over an inch and a quarter. There’s something distressing about getting snow this early, though…
If it’s Tuesday, this must be…
So this is how the whole of September has felt: me as Durga with at least eighteen arms and too much to do and people standing in my way who need a good poke with a sharp stick. Where’s my lion? Or tiger! I will take either. Part of it is the normal start to…
Are You Anybody?
I had a rather surprising piece of mail this week, that made my head spin around for a minute and then re-read the message. I’ve been invited to be a keynote speaker. Huh? Me?! Apparently so. It’s the eleventh annual Craft Critique Culture Conference at the University of Iowa next April. You can see this…
Pseudo-Sabbatical
As some of you may remember, I am enjoying my pseudo-sabbatical this semester. I was somewhat put out to find that while it was possible to jump the line to get tenure (which I did 🙂 it was not possible to bend time in order to get a sabbatical. You have to be at the…
Publications: Encyclopedia of the Vampire
Where are my minions? Surely they would have reminded me that I had forgotten about the two essays I have written for the Encyclopedia of the Vampire, which apparently comes out this November (which I hope means I will finally get paid for writing them 🙂 http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=magicwombat-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=0313378339 Doubtless this is going to be one of…
Publications: "Touched by an Angel" & 21st Century Gothic
I just received a copy of the cover of the new collection 21st Century Gothic which features my essay on Graham Joyce’s [AKA William Heaney’s] Memoirs of a Master Forger. It was one of those projects that comes out of the blue and then — typical for me anyway — I forget all about it…
Magus: The Alan Moore Conference (Day Two)
Here’s another one of Adele’s photos: just out of shot to Alan’s left is me holding Melinda’s glass. One of these days, I’m going to remember to take a picture with them. But don’t they look sweet together? More on thee two later. I left London on the same train as I had the day…
Magus: The Alan Moore Conference (Day One)
Here’s a lovely photo of me and Marc Singer snapped by the wonderful Adele, who already has her write-up of the Magus conference up over at her book blog, UnBound, and has pictures up as well. I was looking forward to this conference despite not quite having my paper done before I headed off to…
My Students: Full of Awesome
Two grad students who are doing independent studies with me also made music videos to go with their projects. I don’t think I can link to Kira’s video on Facebook (a mash-up of Tipping the Velvet and the Brandi Carlile song “I Was Made for You”), but I can link to Caitlin’s video for Lady…