dateline: midterms!

ah, midterm week: alternately the best and the worst week of the year. i always get a ton of stuff done this week, because i'm under so much pressure from deadlines ... but i also have to get a ton of stuff done this week, because i'm under so much pressure from deadlines! :) at least my classes got their papers back last week, so that's one less thing to worry about!

right now i'm working on a research grant proposal. one of the toughest things about academia is the way that money is distributed; instead of giving everyone more on a regular basis, they hold more competitions and scholarships that you have to apply for. i've got a great project going right now, something that could definitely be publication material, so fingers crossed on this one ... now i just have to get the write-up done on time!

but as a distraction, of course (of course!), my brain is going all full-steam-ahead on dreaming up the world of the persuasion-inspired novel. picture it: a girl just like you, who loves a really sweet boy, with misunderstandings, love, romance, reconciliation ... all set with the kentucky derby and the horse racing industry as the background. and the hero looks like this:

swoon! love henry cavill. ah, someday soon i will get this written! and it will be amazing, and you will all love it. ;)

a new obsession

i think i may have found my next crafting project: i'm in love with amy butler's brick path quilt! i'm thinking about heading to hobby lobby next week to see what sorts of scrap material they have to start building up a small stockpile to make this in all the (ha!) free time i have these days. but i really do feel the need for a creative outlet -- too much work certainly does make the preppy prof a dull girl!

speaking of work? nowhere near the home stretch on this set of essays. so far i'm at 6/33. somehow that just does not seem fair...

anyone want to lesson plan for me?

having one of those evenings where i should be lesson planning (for tomorrow! eek!) and grading essays, and i somehow cannot make my brain cooperate. we're working on a rather abstract and complex text in my lower-level course right now, and thinking up ways to complicate the discussion while still steering them toward a more nuanced understanding of the essay is really just eluding me at the moment. looks like there will be major freewriting going on in the preppy prof's class tomorrow...

thought obama did a really great job with his speech tonight, and i loved the emphasis on education, health care, and personal responsibility for all americans. he's managed to stay inspiring even after the rah-rah campaigning portion of the political journey has ended, and i love it. he makes me want to be a better american, and that's got to be worth something. i love that he's trying to make us all understand that we have massive common ground despite our differences.

in royal news today, crown princess victoria of sweden got engaged to her long-time boyfriend, daniel westling. i love that yet another "normal" person is marrying into a european royal family. they look incredibly happy, and i can't wait to see what her wedding dress looks like. if her classy engagement dresses (and ring -- what a rock!) are any indication, it's going to be gorgeous.

still having the persuasion-inspired piece knocking around in my head. i'm thinking henry cavill is my ideal stand in for the "wentworth" character. maybe that will be fun to dream about tonight, even if the lesson planning goes as pear-shaped as i expect it will.

jane austen's still got it

austenblog posted a link to a great article about why, two centuries later, jane austen is still a relevant writer to be taught in the classroom. the writer, kay mcspadden, shares some great anecdotes about what it's like to teach jane and how today's students still can relate to her characters' lives and loves. i really like this bit:

this hard girl, this smart girl, this girl whose choices have whittled her future into a small, lonely path, this girl who longs for romance but has found motherhood instead – well, my heart breaks for her even as she invites me to tease her out of her bad mood another day.

i look at the other students like andrea in the class – girls and boys who appear more mature than they are – and I'm glad that jane austen is able to speak to them, too.

here's a link to the article. whether you teach jane in the classroom like i do, or are simply a modern-day fan of her work, it's a great read.