Comments on: MF in Michigan — am I crazy?

by: Lori

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:31:03 +0000

Now that I’m ABD with two kids, I can say that I’m definitely not cut out for academia. Or, at least, not the kind that involves tenure. If not meanness, it does seem to require a certain kind of single-mindedness that I simply don’t have anymore, if I ever had it in the first place.

And, seriously, if you like teaching English, then that’s the field to go into. God knows there are way too many people teaching English who really hate doing it! Congratulations, and I hope maybe I’ll see you sometime if you’re ever out Virginia way (we live in VA now, near my family, while I supposedly work on my dissertation).

As for the coming back to the US thing…after something like five returns to the US, I’ve found that it’s usually necessary for my sanity at the time, and completely reversible if the States starts feeling claustrophobic. It means accepting a certain kind of nomadness in your life, but if you’re at one with that then you can pretty much go anywhere.

by: MF

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:50:41 +0000

Oh, here I meant Michigan as a destination. You know, I’ll be IN Michigan, like I’m in China now.

Thanks for the congratulations!

by: Teya

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:45:06 +0000

I just want to point out, CLEARLY, that Michigan State University and MICHIGAN are not the same school. And it is confusing to me. MICHIGAN is the blue and yellow school who likes wolverines; Michigan State is the school that is green and white and has Spartans.
You are going to the better of the two. (Well, that is what the Spartan fans will say anyhow).

by: Jon Nelson

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:24:11 +0000

When you get there, look up Dr. Sheng-mei Ma in the English department. I haven’t talked to him in many years, but I’m sure he’s still a great guy. I knew him as a grad student at IU. He was a Taiwanese poet and bohemian from a wealthy Hunanese family. I was a working class punk rocker. We were fascinated by one another, and had a great time becoming friends. I’m sure he’d love to talk to a Chinese speaker, just in from Shanghai. Congratulations on your acceptance.