… in a week — the day after Mr UD and I watch La Kid sing with Springsteen at the Super Bowl.
The plan is to follow her to Florida. Not to Tampa (actually, her group is staying in Orlando), but to Key West.
I’m ready for some warmth. A swim. Definitely some snorkeling — around Key West, but also, I hope, in nearby places like the Caymans and Cozumel. So some cruising too.
***************************
When I was young my parents escaped Christmas every year by taking their four children on a slow car trip to some part of Florida, where we went camping. One year the Everglades; another year, somewhere along the Gulf coast. But we never went to the Keys, and I’ve always wondered about them.
***************************
Here’s James Merrill’s house in Key West.
And here’s a little literary history.
January 26th, 2009 at 8:57PM
Ok, I read your blog constantly and you never respond to my comments, and that’s cool, half the time I’m wine-drunk, whatever, so no worries. BUT.
Could you help me a bit?
I’m a junior faculty and on my first search committee. You’ve been there, done that, right? So I ask, bowing. I need to come up with some "good interview questions," asked by the head of the committee. I don’t want to show up and go, "So, what attratced you to the university?" or "What are your plans in 5 years?"
BLAH. YAWN.
Do you have any keen questions I should ask that would actually give me insight to the candidate? We are hiring for a screenwriter/poet job. We ar down to 10 finalists.
Help me.
S
January 26th, 2009 at 9:22PM
I can think of a few, sure. They’re probably ones you’ve thought of too, but:
Who are your favorite poets? [Then, when she lists only people born after 1950:] Do you like any dead poets? [This may be a way of finding out if the person has any literary depth at all.] Do you like any non-American poets? [Ethnocentrism is unappealing, especially in a screen-writer.] What did you think of Elizabeth Alexander’s inauguration poem?
Do you really think writing can be taught? [Of course she’ll say yes enthusiastically. But if she’s an interesting person she’ll at least be familiar with arguments that it really can’t be, and she’ll make an effort to refute them.] Screenwriting and poetry must keep you very busy, but are you at all familiar with literary criticism and theory? If so, what are some critics whose ideas interest you? Do you think students should be exposed, in creative writing courses, to various theories of art?
Could you tell us a few precise things about how you teach? Do you, for instance, ask writing students to keep journals? Do you think it’s worthwhile for them to critique each others’ work in class? Do you spend much time showing your students models of great writing, doing close readings of them, etc? Or are your classes mainly about the students’ own work?
This is a time of economic uncertainty, and it’s possible programs and courses could be cut. How would you go about defending the importance of creative writing to a dean thinking of cutting it back to save money?
January 26th, 2009 at 10:15PM
Travel well – and enjoy the water!
I leave for Freiburg im Breisgau on Saturday…though I’m not promising that I’ll go skiing, it will indeed be back to the winter for me.
January 27th, 2009 at 9:25AM
Well, Wikipedia says it’s the warmest part of Germany…
Enjoy your time there, Michael.
January 27th, 2009 at 10:48AM
Those sabbaticals really DO test the intellectual stamina of professors ("A swim. Definitely some snorkeling — around Key West, but also, I hope, in nearby places like the Caymans and Cozumel. So some cruising too.")
Enjoy!
January 27th, 2009 at 10:50AM
Thanks, jeff.
January 27th, 2009 at 11:50AM
Hey! She writes about beauty! She needs to experience some non-literary versions on occasion.
Me, my idea of fun is an 8 week immersion in German language rather than the ocean. But then I’m a medievalist.
January 27th, 2009 at 9:27PM
Hey, where were you in San Francisco when I needed those questions?
Drop me a line if you end up anywhere north of Miami on your Florida jaunt; it would be grand to have coffee, or dinner.
January 27th, 2009 at 9:32PM
I’ll do that, Mark. It’d be wonderful to meet up.
As for the MLA: UD at the MLA would be as unthinkable as… UD’s daughter at the Super Bowl…