Went to first colloquium of the semester, which was fascinating -- all about Sarah Bernhardt and celebrity in the late 1800s, and surprisingly relevant to thinking about celebrity today. Am I famous? Am I constructing my own identity in order to make myself as famous as possible? Is my construction of self particularly labile, so that I may best sway with the cultural tides? I suspect not -- I am, in fact, quite rigid in many ways, which is perhaps one reason why I will never actually be famous. (Despite my five minutes here and there.)
I am feeling swamped enough with grading, etc. that I'm mildly sorry I took the timebut then again, a) this is part of being a good citizen of my department, attending colloquia, and something I'd promised myself I'd do more of this year, and b) it's good to take a breath away from the frenzy to just think a little, esp. if it sends your thoughts in a different direction from their well-trodden ruts. Adding new angles of reflection. And then back we go to the grind. Student papers, ho!
