Big Society's Annual Conference

I wish that I could tell you about the conference. But I can't.

Why? Because I was in the conference, but not really of it.

Why? Because I was giving a paper and interviewing with four schools.

The paper was, in my opinion, a good paper on North Country. But I had the wrong audience (there was a session focused on North Country running at the same time).

The audience behaved in completely unprofessional and uncollegial ways in their questions. Instead of inquiring about my data or argument, I was asked to comment on things that were only tangentially related to my research. And one woman went so far as to ask me to comment on one of the Best Man's short stories and, after I offered a handful of possibilities, responded with, "Well, I think that you're completely incorrect."

After a split second, I responded with, "Well, thank you."

Whatever. The presentation still goes on my C.V.

The interviews, in my opinion, also went smoothly. My philosophy has been to conduct each interview in a way that the interviewers have an honest and accurate sense of who I am as a teacher and as a researcher (a good check on my impulse to beg for the job and vow to be whoever they want so long as I have a salary).

All of the jobs are tenure-track. And I've already heard back from one school: they would like me to go for a campus visit in a week's time.

I understand that they're trying to lock in the best candidates. But this school is my Third-Choice, so I'm a bit worried. My First-Choice U won't offer invitations for campus visits until mid-January, campus visits will take place in mid-February, and the final decision won't be made until late February.

What if I'm offered the job at Third-Choice U while I'm still waiting to hear from First-Choice U?

But that's borrowing trouble.

Other conference notes:
- I was invited to be on the steering committee for the Digging and Good Book section. I am not qualified to be on this committee by any stretch of the imagination. But I didn't disclose this to the chair of the committee. =)
- I had dessert with Cool Priest. He is still as cool as ever.
- I hung out with friends from Hometown. Oh, spring of water in a dry and thirsty land!

And now, I must return to my introvert cocoon and recuperate from the conference.

So, that I can be run down again when I extrovert during my campus visit to Third-Choice U.