In the last few days, I've seen wonderful things happen to good people I know. One person I know just received news that he'll be attending a fully funded seminar in Thailand at their Peace Conflict Center. He was told the selection process was very competitive. I'm very happy for his success in this endeavor. Dr. Catherine Quick was just told that the National Writing Project will be coming to the Coastal Bend, and she will be the director. We did many high fives when she told me the news.
I was rereading the chapter, where Martin supports Lynn's decision to go to New Mexico and reviewing the photographs of their happy family. They're always smiling and close together. I admire the relationship between Martin and Lynn. They celebrate each other's accomplishments and encourage one another's career choices. I suppose this is why I enjoy the book so much. It is written by a good person who also happens to be an accomplished academic. I know she's a good person not just by her words in this book but because of an act of random kindness that she bestowed on me a few years ago. She read my book, and she wrote me a wonderful note telling me that she enjoyed it. Here was a total stranger e-mailing me to say these kind words about a book that I put my heart and soul into for many years.
What if academia were filled with individuals like Lynn Bloom? We could imagine what would happen to the gang of four that Lynn talks about in her early career days. There would be quite a bit of gang busting going on or may they wouldn't want to form a gang.
What I admire about Lynn is her courage. She's a decent person with a lot of courage, and it took her a long way in her career and a person to admire. She represents what can be good in academia and why we might want to stick around. The ivory tower doesn't have to be ivory or a tower if we have decency and courage--and, maybe, a little of the personal mixed in.
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The ivory tower doesn't have to be ivory or a tower if we have decency and courage--and, maybe, a little of the personal mixed in.
Henry Giroux once referred to Edward Said as "an ivory tower intellectual" because of the intentional distancing of himself from activist causes. It meant Said was a writer and thinker but not much of a doer. I fear that's where I am -- with the exception that I think too much but don't write enough and do next to nothing. Some time, maybe that will change, but I know I have to go it at my own pace.
I have been thinking a lot about Monday's class and the response when you asked about competition within our group. Now that I read this blog, I wonder if our group is headed in the direction of completely disregarding the ivory tower or if we are playing the parts of supportive classmates.
I can't speak for anyone else but I don't get upset if a classmate makes a grade better than mine, gets accepted to a conference or has something published. I am genuinely happy for that person. The only competition I participate in is internal. I set standards for myself but certainly not against the standards of other students. I don't know what good competing with them would do. Either way, we all still graduate, right? Maybe some people will think I'm naive but I don't care.
I guess everyone is different, though. It's hard to tell when people are being genuine. In the case of Bloom emailing you - that was genuine. She didn't have to do that so you can be certain that she meant it. Since we are sometimes forced into situations where our accomplishments are put out in plain view of our peers, our receiving and giving of praise is different.
I hope that we are not wearing false faces when it comes to praise about accomplishments. I hope that when it seems that all the rest of the world is against us and against what we believe that we can at least still believe in each other.
I just realized how long that comment was...please count it as next week's blog.
Just kidding! LOL
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