Everyday is like Sunday

I think I'm recycling that title, but it's a good one, and apropos for today's
post . . .

So here are some updates:
Most importantly (to me), I presented my current chapter (or a draft of it) to my colleagues last week. I was a little nervous about this for a few reasons:
the length of my chapter (right now 14,700 words, or approx. 52 pages double spaced plus notes), the relative obscurity of the subject matter, and the hectic-ness of the quarter--it was 7th week, and people are all just swamped with work.

But there was a good turn out--14 people plus me, and that's perfectly respectable. I always worry that no one will show up to things that I host, whether it is a party, an academic panel or something else. Always, irrationally, I have this insecurity deep inside that I'm not cool, and no one will want to come to my event. This was no different, but once again, I was wrong--funny, but being wrong about this for many, many years doesn't decrease the anxiety at all.

More important than the turn-out, people actually had really good ideas and helpful suggestions, and they seemed to really have fun talking about the project. To me, that was the miracle of all miracles--not that I good smart feedback--that's not unusual for this group--but that talking about William Carlos Williams actually was fun and hip and cool for someone besides me . . . It's always hard to have a sense of perspective on your own work when your in the midst of it and I know that I was too close to be objective about the draft beyond, "I am not embarrassed to share this with my colleagues," but it was very rewarding to see the discussion really take on a life of its own.

I still have a lot of work to do, but it was great to have some validation from my peers and profs. Yay!

In other news, finally got out of my apartment for a night out with ma cousine--we always have fun together and this weekend was no exception. We had dinner at this Italian place near her house and then went to a bar down the block. Other than seeing Morrissey, the bar part of the evening was pretty much a wash . . . but the Morrissey sighting was very cool.

And just four more days until Glen Hansard at the Troubadour. I CANNOT WAIT! but "it's a long way to Fitzcarraldo" . . .