I'm not happy with my paper for the conference in Oxford. That's not unusual (when am I ever happy with something I've written apart from fleeting moments here and there?), but I have been particularly swamped with work and it had left me with a feeling of nagging doubt. So I woke up this morning with the thought that it's time to throw on the long coat and find my inner Captain Jack. The Torchwood one, that is. Amazing the power of the long coat: one of my favorite moments in the crazy Alex Cox film Straight to Hell is when Frank orders his desperadoes to "get out the long coats, boys." Of course, the Torchwood coats have been much parodied, but I feel now it's time to sling on the mental long coat and head out like I mean business. Then again there's revising, too, which usually helps.
Speaking of Captains Jack, the other captain has been spotted in northern Wisconsin. Thanks to my fabulous in-laws, Gene Sr. and Jane, we found out that Johnny Depp is currently filming a Dillinger movie up in their region. Hee hee: maybe they'll get me an autograph!A million things to do, yet off to England tomorrow. At least it's a teaching light day: workshops and a film showing. I knew I'd be crazed by this date. The good news is that after Saturday I don't have another paper to give (maybe until next March -- could I wait that long?). The summer will be writing and some fun travel (gasp! even a possible vacation). But first I have to get through Saturday.
3 comments:
Oh, that's just super. I spent the last 25 minutes watching Torchwood spoofs and outtakes. Damn your hide and the long coat!
Having said that, perhaps you could give your paper in a Welsh accent?
HA HA HA! I love to think I'm wasting other people's time -- er, except when I'm giving papers, I guess.
Maybe I could hire a Welsh person to give my paper. Who would know?
My pal Paul suggested a Lucky Jim approach, but he's just the kind of depraved person who would do that. Besides, the Lucky Jim reference hits a little too close to home... maybe I should be reading Lodge instead.
Well, Gene didn't seem to think it was so bad. I made some more changes and printed it out. Now I'm deciding what to bring along to read on the plane. I'm going to firmly resist the urge to bring along some talismanic books (i.e. research tomes that I would only take to make me feel that if needed, I could consult them, but of course I never do [so watch this time be the exception...]).
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