Tag Archives: academic life

#jessewritesathesis

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Things have remained quiet around these parts since I wrote this post at the beginning of the year (was it already six months ago?). Over the ensuing months I’ve focused instead on some other projects to help me not only get back into the mindset of writing regularly, but with the hope of rediscovering that writing is actually something I like to do. There are many pleasures the academic life affords, but in my experience it is difficult not to allow writing to become associated with insecurity, dread, panic over deadlines, etc.

In other words, I made the conscious decision to take some time off from thesis, and really from most of my “professional” interests in general. I’ve allowed myself the mental space to explore new topics, watch a whole lot of films, work on my beach body (haha), and nurture some new developments in my social life. I’ve also started dabbling in collage art, a medium I’ve long been fascinated by, and have found it tremendously rewarding to channel creative energy toward the analytic and non-linguistic for a change.

But it is time to return to both my thesis and the research interests that initially motivated me to start this blog in the first place. Last week I received a very kind email out of the blue regarding this blog and my research in general, and it gave me an additional jolt of motivation. The summer session at SFSU began yesterday, and it seemed like the perfect time for me to start work up again as well. And I have to say, it was rather nice to be back at it again.

thesis journal queer modernisms

Here’s a photo I took to commemorate the occasion. It was inspired by an account on Instagram that I like (@karahaupt), whose owner visually documented the agonies and ecstasies of her own thesis process. Though I’m not sure how it will exactly play out, I’ve been inspired to undertake a similar project. I’ll probably post some/all of the photos here as well, but if Instagram is a platform you like, feel free to follow along there as well. I’ll be posting all relevant things under the hashtag #jessewritesathesis, or just follow me at @j_ata if glimpses of the current drag scene in San Francisco, the secondhand books I find, images of Jane Russell and classic Hollywood divas, and miscellaneous displays of the faggotry of my friends and I are the type of things that strikes your fancy.

And, of course, I hope to do some writing and posting around these parts too, so stay tuned!