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May 5, 2006
Kalamazoo 41
It's springtime - medievalists' minds must turn to Western Michigan University . . . .
Let me tell you up front that I dislike conferences in general. This one is so professionally run, so smooth, so winsomely simple (despite it's professional backstage activity) that it's hard to find anything bad to say (even the weather has cooperated, which isn't always the case -- medivalists love to tell about years with snow or torrential rain).
In part my kind of sociability doesn't turn to people I see only once a year or decade in moments when we eagerly exchange professional gossip (and personal gossip about those who've left the profession abruptly). Conference going is better now that I have a job and am not constantly viewing everyone else as an immediate competitor for my bread and butter.
I'm horrible with names. I saw someone last night who commented on a paper of mine two years ago (at a different conference) and could only remember his first name. Luckily he's a jeans-and-cowboy-boots kind of professor, so that didn't bother him. He of course remembered me and asked after someone else on the panel. I couldn't remember his name, let alone everone who was on the panel and what their papers were - at least not without sitting down and thinking about it for a moment. Of course, since then I've even recalled his middle name, which he uses professionally. Staircase thoughts, staircase thoughts.
I'm always tempted to do a Fashion-Police review, but I fear that someone will recognize my targets - and I've already met someone who knows me and reads the Crankyprofessor and had never said so, so no persons. I am practicing self-restraint in pixels, though I did point out my entry for the Child, Goth has Nothing to do with Gothic contest to the aforementioned acquaintance last night.
But then there are the papers - the good, the bad, and the ugly. I've heard a couple of goods, more bads, and no uglies yet. That's not a disappointing outcome.
Posted by CrankyProfessor at May 5, 2006 8:20 AM