So I'm finally jumping on the blogging bandwagon, but I hope I'm doing it for the best of reasons--I admire and am inspired by many of the blogs I read, and I want to become part of those conversations. Especially those that have to do with the academy, a place I'm beginning to think I might have a permanent place in.

Like most of youse out there, I'll be keeping myself anonymous, or pseudonymous, for reasons of professional and personal circumspection. (In other words: so that I can't easily be Googled by students, colleagues, long-time nemeses, whatever.) But in the event that anyone reads this who doesn't already know the full backstory, here's the break-down: 30-y-o woman, originally from the Far West but by now a long-time Easterner, finishing up her Ph.D. in English after six periodically painful years.

It will be a bit of a race to completion: I'm starting a new job as a full-time lecturer at Big Urban University in late August (hooray! a real-person salary!), but, as of today I still have nearly an entire diss chapter to write; some major revisions to make to my first chapter; a short introduction to throw together; and all the usual clean-up on everything else. And, oh yeah: I'm also giving a major address (overseas) in October AND going out on the job market at full strength a second time around. So it'll be an interesting year. If I don't lose half my friends and all my sanity in the process I'll consider it a success.