I'm going to get back to working now (I did massive work on the cookbook today, adding a bunch of recipes, revising the introductory essay, and only have 2-3 recipes left to write up, eep). At the moment, I'm doing drudgery, sorting through which stories in my dissertation are ready to send out. There are three making the rounds right now, and I *think* three more are ready to go, though I should check them first. I need to get as many of these into circulation as possible, as soon as possible, if I hope to have any kind of shot at getting one published in a lit. journal -- and thereby having any kind of shot on the academic job market.
Hmm...I've been travelling so much, I don't think I've told you my most recent academic plans. Subject to change without notice, of course, but I'm currently planning to do applications to any college that might have me in the Chicago area, and also apply to good schools in California (and possibly in the Boston/NY area, just in case). It would suck to be away from Kevin next year, but we would probably survive it, and he swears he would visit me very very often. He'd rather be in California too, so if I could get a decent job there, then he could start looking too; alternatively, I could do a year or two there and then come back to Chicago and maybe get a better job than I would be able to get now. But oh, I would mope. Let's just hope I get a job in Chicago, eh?
It is, of course, quite likely that I won't even get any interviews, given that I have essentially no lit. publishing credits at this point. I'm bracing for that result; if it happens, so be it. I'll spend the next year working my tail off trying to get a lit. credit or two, and trying to publish the dissertation as a book, and then next fall I'll do a more comprehensive search.
And if all that fails, I'm going to open a coffeehouse with Marg. (One of my college roommates, who was at the wedding, and who also cherishes secret dreams of running a coffeehouse -- we spent a good three hours or so on Sunday planning it. :-) 'Cause running a coffeehousezz, now that's a steady way to make a living. :-)
Hmmm. Have you considered either Arizona State University or University of Arizona? The whole system is supposed to be going through a major expansion through the next few years and the cost of living is this state is quite low. (My sister is applying to teach at UofA.)
Heh. I don’t think so. Too hot. In any case, the goal is to pick places Kevin would want to live too, and it’s *way* too hot for him. 🙂
Good answer, Mary Anne, good answer.