Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

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Silent Majority wrote:
20 Dec 2017, 9:00am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
19 Dec 2017, 3:00pm
A last-minute medical leave means I'll likely be teaching a survey course in January. Yay for work, but it means I'll be writing lectures like a lunatic for the next several weeks. If I can have two-thirds done by the time the class starts, I'll feel good. But it does mean my own research will be put on hold for a good month. It's also a US post-45 basic lecture class, and on a lot of that stuff I can just babble off-the-cuff if need be (so, kids, let's talk about the Warren Commission …).
Stephen King glares at you from the front row, arguing the Warren report is sound.
Me glaring back, "It'd be cool if you wrote something good once in awhile!" (I'd say From a Buick 8 was the last novel of his that I actually enjoyed.)
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

Post by Silent Majority »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
20 Dec 2017, 9:30am
Silent Majority wrote:
20 Dec 2017, 9:00am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
19 Dec 2017, 3:00pm
A last-minute medical leave means I'll likely be teaching a survey course in January. Yay for work, but it means I'll be writing lectures like a lunatic for the next several weeks. If I can have two-thirds done by the time the class starts, I'll feel good. But it does mean my own research will be put on hold for a good month. It's also a US post-45 basic lecture class, and on a lot of that stuff I can just babble off-the-cuff if need be (so, kids, let's talk about the Warren Commission …).
Stephen King glares at you from the front row, arguing the Warren report is sound.
Me glaring back, "It'd be cool if you wrote something good once in awhile!" (I'd say From a Buick 8 was the last novel of his that I actually enjoyed.)
Dr Sleep was the latest one I've tried and I didn't finish it. The writing muscles are there bit they're in service to themes that were flogged to death by him in the eighties.

I'd love to argue with you in class about post-war US politics. Because I am a huge nerd.
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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

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Silent Majority wrote:
20 Dec 2017, 9:36am
Dr Sleep was the latest one I've tried and I didn't finish it. The writing muscles are there bit they're in service to themes that were flogged to death by him in the eighties.
I hate-listened to that one. I did that to a lot of recent King books because a former friend was a huge fan, and I'd read or listen so he'd have someone to talk about them with. But that is a huge problem with his work now. He's quite good at telling a story, but he's gotten pretty lazy about it. It just feels like he's grinding shit out.
I'd love to argue with you in class about post-war US politics. Because I am a huge nerd.
I told B last night that planning this stuff out has really brought out my history nerd. As in I'm really looking forward to blabbing about so much of this stuff because it's just plain fun for me. I have room in the schedule to do a couple at-my-own-discretion kinds of lectures, so I'm reviving an old one about 1950s teenagers and delinquents and writing something new about the space race. The 1960s stuff is so loaded down with strife and anger and confusion—Vietnam, domestic terrorism, Watergate—that I want to plop in the middle something romantic and unambiguously successful. Something just plain fun.

Also, I have a captive audience to relate this LBJ anecdote (from Merle Miller's oral history, Lyndon):
Coates Redmon: "I don't remember what year it was, but one day Hayes, my husband, came home laughing himself sick, saying 'You wouldn't believe what I saw.' He explained that he had said to Bill Moyers, 'Gee, I never get to see the president when he's doing these outrageous things everyone tells me about. And the next time he does one, I want to be in on it. I'm working for the man and I want to see this.'

"So one day Bill telephoned him to come quick to the president's bedroom. I think Lynda Bird was in there, and Mrs. Johnson, and Marie Fehmer was taking dictation. The president was lying on his side in his bed and facing the group. There was a nurse on the other side, the three television sets were all going, and he was going snap, snap, snap. He's batting dictation to Marie, he's switching the channels, he's yelling at Bill—and I think there were others there, someone from one of the networks and another from the White House staff—and he's yelling at them too. And everybody in this fairly large group was acting normal as all get out. And Hayes said that he started to walk around a little, because he couldn't figure out what the nurse was doing there. Bill said, 'Can't you see?' Hayes said, 'No, I can't see anything.' But little by little it was getting apparent, and Bill whispered to him, 'Well, you wanted a good one, you got a good one—he's having an enema."
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

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Yee haw, officially offered the class this morning, and so I have a captive audience as I get to geek out on post-45 US history. I'm actually not a fan of lecture classes—neither as a student nor instructor, because there's so little interaction—but getting to do a monologue on this time period is gonna be fun. I also get to do my 70s malaise lecture idea that starts with Johnny Rotten saying, "Ever get the feeling you been cheated?", ramble thru the frustrations of the 70s, and end with Reagan asking, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

Post by Silent Majority »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Dec 2017, 10:51am
Yee haw, officially offered the class this morning, and so I have a captive audience as I get to geek out on post-45 US history. I'm actually not a fan of lecture classes—neither as a student nor instructor, because there's so little interaction—but getting to do a monologue on this time period is gonna be fun. I also get to do my 70s malaise lecture idea that starts with Johnny Rotten saying, "Ever get the feeling you been cheated?", ramble thru the frustrations of the 70s, and end with Reagan asking, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"
Impersonations are a must.
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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

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Silent Majority wrote:
23 Dec 2017, 5:35am
Impersonations are a must.
A preview:
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Dec 2017, 10:51am
Yee haw, officially offered the class this morning, and so I have a captive audience as I get to geek out on post-45 US history. I'm actually not a fan of lecture classes—neither as a student nor instructor, because there's so little interaction—but getting to do a monologue on this time period is gonna be fun. I also get to do my 70s malaise lecture idea that starts with Johnny Rotten saying, "Ever get the feeling you been cheated?", ramble thru the frustrations of the 70s, and end with Reagan asking, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"
Awesome - congrats!!!
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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

Post by Kory »

JennyB wrote:
25 Dec 2017, 9:35pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Dec 2017, 10:51am
Yee haw, officially offered the class this morning, and so I have a captive audience as I get to geek out on post-45 US history. I'm actually not a fan of lecture classes—neither as a student nor instructor, because there's so little interaction—but getting to do a monologue on this time period is gonna be fun. I also get to do my 70s malaise lecture idea that starts with Johnny Rotten saying, "Ever get the feeling you been cheated?", ramble thru the frustrations of the 70s, and end with Reagan asking, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"
Awesome - congrats!!!
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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
22 Dec 2017, 10:51am
Yee haw, officially offered the class this morning, and so I have a captive audience as I get to geek out on post-45 US history. I'm actually not a fan of lecture classes—neither as a student nor instructor, because there's so little interaction—but getting to do a monologue on this time period is gonna be fun. I also get to do my 70s malaise lecture idea that starts with Johnny Rotten saying, "Ever get the feeling you been cheated?", ramble thru the frustrations of the 70s, and end with Reagan asking, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"
Congrats! Torture them
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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

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Does anyone here (Doc? Rats, maybe?) have any tips for approaching/experience with academic publishers (specifically in the humanities)?

I've been toying with the idea of publishing my thesis as a book for a while and am now thinking about getting serious about it.

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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

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Inder wrote:
19 Jan 2018, 3:39pm
Does anyone here (Doc? Rats, maybe?) have any tips for approaching/experience with academic publishers (specifically in the humanities)?

I've been toying with the idea of publishing my thesis as a book for a while and am now thinking about getting serious about it.
I can ask the missuz later tonight. For a lot of first-time scholars, tho, the supervisor serves as the original go-between, using their own contacts for likely publishers. Loitering at the book displays at academic conferences is another place to meet reps.

edit: The Boss says I'm a moron. She also disagrees with what I originally said (except the academic conference bit—that's correct). She said that you should make a list of the publishers that you think are most appropriate for your work, then go to their website and check out the "For Authors" section on submitting. You'll likely have to write prospectus that relates what your MS is about, what changes you foresee having to make to turn it into a book, etc. Each publisher will state exactly what they want in a package before considering your thingee. Importantly, however, don't mass submit. Ethics demands going down your list one at a time and only moving on to the next one if the one above passes or you don't like their offer. But it is, I guess, just dipping your hook in the lake and seeing if you get a bite.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

Post by Inder »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
19 Jan 2018, 3:48pm
Inder wrote:
19 Jan 2018, 3:39pm
Does anyone here (Doc? Rats, maybe?) have any tips for approaching/experience with academic publishers (specifically in the humanities)?

I've been toying with the idea of publishing my thesis as a book for a while and am now thinking about getting serious about it.
I can ask the missuz later tonight. For a lot of first-time scholars, tho, the supervisor serves as the original go-between, using their own contacts for likely publishers. Loitering at the book displays at academic conferences is another place to meet reps.

edit: The Boss says I'm a moron. She also disagrees with what I originally said (except the academic conference bit—that's correct). She said that you should make a list of the publishers that you think are most appropriate for your work, then go to their website and check out the "For Authors" section on submitting. You'll likely have to write prospectus that relates what your MS is about, what changes you foresee having to make to turn it into a book, etc. Each publisher will state exactly what they want in a package before considering your thingee. Importantly, however, don't mass submit. Ethics demands going down your list one at a time and only moving on to the next one if the one above passes or you don't like their offer. But it is, I guess, just dipping your hook in the lake and seeing if you get a bite.
Thanks Doc + Boss Doc! Sounds relatively straightforward — I'm going to get cracking on looking up publishers etc. I've got a few conference/CFP alerts set up as well in case anything particularly juicy rolls by.

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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

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Lemme tell ya, Lyndon Johnson has enough colourful anecdotes to make a lecture succeed. Once you hit them with LBJ on the toilet barking at Kennedy people, you got 'em the rest of the way.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

Post by Silent Majority »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
01 Feb 2018, 8:55pm
Lemme tell ya, Lyndon Johnson has enough colourful anecdotes to make a lecture succeed. Once you hit them with LBJ on the toilet barking at Kennedy people, you got 'em the rest of the way.
I told the wife the one about the enema the other day (being married to me is a joy).
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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School

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Silent Majority wrote:
02 Feb 2018, 6:33am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
01 Feb 2018, 8:55pm
Lemme tell ya, Lyndon Johnson has enough colourful anecdotes to make a lecture succeed. Once you hit them with LBJ on the toilet barking at Kennedy people, you got 'em the rest of the way.
I told the wife the one about the enema the other day (being married to me is a joy).
My students were aghast and titillated by that one. They were more genuinely impressed by the "George Wallace: He Hated" encounter (https://www.quora.com/What-did-Presiden ... val-Office) along with pictures of LBJ giving people "The Treatment." I think I conveyed what a force of nature the man was—a monster but mostly well-meaning (in the context of major politicians) and the most gifted politician of the 20th c.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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