Recently, in facing the impending layoffs, I have noticed the sheer amount of stress that many of my coworkers have been experiencing. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if this resulted in heart attacks or other stress-related injuries in some of these folks. They have spent a long time basing their lives around the culture of the Ivory Tower. I’m not even talking about faculty or upper administration. These are the regular people. The Help, if you have to use an Edwardian parlance of what we do here. A life In Service to the Manor as it were.
Just like the servants who witnessed debauchery and privilege run amok in Edwardian society and earlier, you wouldn’t believe some of the stuff I have heard about or seen for myself in this place. Since I might have some time on my hands coming up pretty quick, I am kicking around the idea of writing a book.
Please let me know in the comments or on my FB page if this is something you might be interested in reading about? Mostly I would be writing it for other people who have slogged through the Halls of Academia. But it might be one of those Confidential type works that just air out the dirty laundry. It could be a lot of fun, and quite possibly a very therapeudic experience.
18 years before the mast. Who knows. It wouldn’t be very nice, and it might not make me look like the best either. But it is experience, and that is the best teacher and the cheapest source of good writing material out there.
I would be interested but then I work at a university so…
BTW, have you read Neal Stephenson’s The Big U? It’s his debut novel and it shows, but I also enjoyed some of the Academia shenanigans he wrote about, as well as the Student shenanigans he wrote about.
I’m reluctant to check it out since I don’t want to have the same thing that happened when I read GRRM and say, “Well shit, someone already wrote the perfect book about this stuff.”
Love your writing! You’re a word magician. You are so smart with so much going for you… the World Is yours!
Awww! Thanks! You are too kind.
The Dilbert of Academia.
Like!! I blog quite often and I genuinely thank you for your information. The article has truly peaked my interest.