Some thoughts on receiving book reviews November 7, 2009
Posted by gesta in Academia, Boundaries, Debate.Tags: Random thoughts, reviews
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In 2007, my first book was published, just in time for the RAE circus. At the time, I was just glad to get rid of it. I felt, at best, ambivalent to the work contained therein, and at worst, that it was all useless. At one level, I really didn’t care what people thought of it because it was my book and, in moments of clearer thinking, I thought I had achieved what I set out do do, at least in part. At a deeper level was the anxiety – what if someone really important totally pans it? What do I do?
Papers in the offing November 5, 2009
Posted by gesta in Academia, Medieval.Tags: chronicles, far too much to do, Norman, papers, research
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Both Reivers and I have been quiet on the blogging front of late as we have moved house. I, at least, have now become a person who gets excited about cookers – it must be middle age creeping up. In amongst all the chaos of moving, proposals for papers and books that I put in with great hope, partial hope and no hope at all, seem to have come back with positive responses, or at least noises which suggest future acceptance. So, for a change, a post on research (yay)!
‘Bad’ history October 16, 2009
Posted by gesta in Academia, Debate.Tags: bad history
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No sooner do I launch an incoherent post on ‘impact’ (which in itself illustrates the dangers of such woolly concepts) on an unsuspecting world, than the Times Higher features a lengthy article on Bad History, starring Miri Rubin and Jonathan Phillips amongst some modernists. Although the article isn’t explicitly about impact, historians looking for a crumb of comfort in these vicissitudinous times may be relieved that some people haven’t lost the plot entirely.
Impact October 15, 2009
Posted by gesta in Academia, Boundaries, Debate.Tags: higher education policy, intelligent people being idiots, rants
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If you keep up with the Higher Education pages in the UK newspapers, you will know that there has been a great deal of comment on a mysterious entity called ‘impact’ lately. Impact is the latest government and research council buzz word for why our research must have some definable economic or social goal: where is the next technological gadget or government initiative coming from in otherwords. Impact will also replace esteem in the REF, which in itself, replaces the RAE, except with a bigger percentage (more…)
In praise of teaching September 19, 2009
Posted by gesta in Academia, Debate.Tags: higher education policy, teaching
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There has recently been a series of articles in the Times Higher and in other places reflecting, bemoaning and sometimes downright scaring on the state of higher education and universities in the UK. At the core of these debates is the question of what are our universities for? Are the people who comprise the faculty an elite squad of researchers who happen to pass on the benefits of their expertise to students in their spare time? Are they teaching, or, rather, instructing machines? And that’s before we even get to the admin.
IMC 2010: Medieval Routes September 9, 2009
Posted by gesta in Medieval.Tags: IMC, roads, routes, space
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I am involved in organising some sessions for next year’s Leeds based on different medieval routes. We have a couple of gaps in various sessions, so if anyone has anything to say about the following please get in touch:
- German roads, routes and itineraries, particularly if these relate to palaces or the military orders
- Pilgrimage routes around the Mediterranean
- The Silk Road
We are particularly interested in papers that explore experience of routes from a narrative, archaeological or cartographic perspective. Please send proposals to Marianne O’Doherty as soon as possible. Thanks. Call for Papers
Permanency September 6, 2009
Posted by gesta in Academia.Tags: Academia, jobs
2 comments
I am in a very fortunate position: when asked that extremely rude question, second only to ‘when will you finish your thesis/book?’, when will you get a permanent job?, I can now blow a big, fat raspberry in the enquirer’s face. Yes, I am now permanent, back to part time, but nonetheless, here to stay! This has led to some rather odd experiences, not least of all people in a similar position and some postgrads asking me how I’ve achieved this. (more…)
IMC 2009 report July 19, 2009
Posted by gesta in Academia, Boundaries, Debate, Medieval.Tags: Angevin, Anglo-Saxon, bishops, Elma Brenner, Fanny Madeline, frustrations of case studies, IMC, Jonathan Jarrett, Magistra et Mater, Matthew Johnson, Nick Karn, Paul Hyams, Pauline Stafford, space
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I’ve survived another Leeds (my 8th I believe) and thankfully, it was better than last year’s, both in terms of quality and weather. I still have some concerns about the over-use of case studies, but more of those later. I failed miserably to make it to either bloggers’ meeting due to double-booking myself and a successful round table: I’m sure Magistra et Mater and Jonathan Jarrett will update everyone on that score (the bloggers, not the roundtable). (more…)
