It's ironic that the last month of grad school, and now last day, simply involve me being a TA, teaching two classes. It makes 9 years sorta anti climactic. Grading finals isn't much of a celebration.
Thursday will be my last day as a TA. 8 years teaching at:
Ohio State -- 9 classes (TA, 3 yrs)
Doane College -- 3 classes (Adjunct, 1.5yrs)
University of Nebraska -- 15 classes (TA, 4 years)
I've met some incredible students, nay, writers in that time. It's been a privilege to work with them, to spot diamonds in the rough, to convert some to English majors, to be a hard ass and push others to where they should be. Nothing pleases me more than being a thorn in their side--if I got paid more maybe I wouldn't be as "encouraging."
And in all this time I wrote three books, which was the main goal of grad school:
Indelible Marks (poetry) -- 32p
Afterimage (poetry) -- 62p
Morning Glory (memoir) -- 241p
This is as sentimental as I can get before a crazy weekend of grading, house cleaning, and general preparation of visiting family. Maybe it'll hit me harder in September. But I'm ready to move on, be all I can be (or an army of one), so it might not hit me at all.
I need a 10' tall ironweed. Now. But Plant Delights is out of them.
7 comments:
DeepMiddle- Congrats! What a huge accomplishment even if it does not feel so accomplished yet. And three books is nothing to slouch at either. Be proud of yourself. Now you can be abused for a little more pay. Good times! :-D
So, what next? :)
Heather--Sounds good to me! $$$
Amanda--A whole summer filled with scratching and burping, and a fall of researching my next book. Maybe teaching if UNL gives me a lecture spot.
Last days can be anti-climactic, can't they? Not so much an exit as an exhalation. So take a deep breath, Benjamin, and let it all out. You've done it. Now get on with the scratching and burping. Oh, and the writing, of course.
It's been quite a journey you've shared with us...more to come for certain!
You might have to find someone with a meadow who will share a ten foot tall ironweed.
gail
I have a 10' ironweed! (Well, it's not 10' yet, but by summer's end, it generally is). If you were a bit closer, I'd give you a clump.
About six months after getting my doctorate, I was in Florida at a stoplight (I did my postdoc on the gulf coast) and it hit me that I was done - and that I had done it. I don't think before that moment that it had sunk in.
Best wishes with what comes next!
Pam--Oh, I envy your ironweed! So cool! And my stoplight come soon.
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