For those of you concerned, yes, I'm still at the University of Tennessee, still working toward my Ph.D. My tiny flat in Knoxville is the domain of Smoke Stewart Dias Herbon. I saw a meme the other day that showed a kitten and said "whatever a cat sees belongs to that cat." Nothing could be truer. Smoke has dozens of toys, yet he finds great joy in pulling my clothes off their hangers. He has a lovely scratching post, yet his favorite claw-sharpening instrument is my school backpack. He's a mystery, a joy, a problem, a lover, a fighter, and the best companion I could ever hope for. That's the story of Smoke.
As for school, this semester is kicking my bodacious ass. The class that begins my week takes place on Monday afternoon. Literacy in the Ancient World drives me crazy. It is so heavily theory-driven that I cannot easily grasp what we are required to read. The teacher is a fantastic guy who studies ancient China, so there is a lot to learn from him and from the class. It's just tough sledding intellectually.
The next class of my week takes place on Monday night. Just having a night class again is tough. We don't get out of there before nine, by which time my brain has been fried because I spent the afternoon with Ancient China and literacy. This Monday night class is on the Atlantic World, a broad subject that focuses on the connections between the various nations that ring the Atlantic. It's geographical sweep means we get a lot of variety that way, but a lot of the theory and analysis seems to be pretty standard across the field. The teacher is fabulous, though. She's young, she's very knowledgeable on her subject, she's relaxed and open with us all, and I am enjoying the class very much.
Then comes the redoubtable Dr. H. whom you may remember from last fall. Yes, I rushed right back into his classroom, in spite of the terrible time I had with him during my first semester here. Happily, this semester he's teaching nineteenth-century historiography. The books he has selected for us represent some of the best in the field, and I'm learning so much more about that time period than I thought possible. The downside is that he assigns two books a week, and we have to write nine book reviews over the course of the semester. I'm down to only two more reviews to write--and I'm very anxious to be done.
So, that's really all life is about these days--school and Smoke. With everyone so busy, there hasn't been much time for partying. Friends Chantalle and Ryan have discovered a new place to play pub trivia, a British pub in the Old City. While they play every week, I try to get there every now and again. In fact, I'm going tonight.
Over the summer, Maddie came to Knoxville for a visit, and we had a terrific time. She and Smoke fell so much in love that he kept looking for her a week after she'd flown back home to California. While a credit card issue kept us from doing any traveling, just to have my baby with me for a week was fantastic. She and Chantalle (who was staying with me while waiting for her new apartment to be ready) and I did take a trip up to Gaitlinburg and Pigeon Forge--quite eye-opening. If you picture those spots as cute little pieces of Appalachia, think again. They're just the mountain folks' Vegas. Hideously commercial, there is nothing quaint or Smoky Mountain-ish in that area. That does not mean, however, that we didn't have fun. Moonshine tasting proved delightful, although we all got a little tipsy afterwards.
Last month, Mom and Dad paid a quick weekend visit after my Dad's ship reunion in Nashville. We didn't do a lot, but we did get to the Lincoln Museum at Lincoln Memorial University and to the Cumberland Gap. I've gotta say, looking out over the Gap makes you really feel like Daniel Boone. Its a gorgeous view from the pinnacle, and I did get a little patriotically verklempt when I thought of all those pioneers who poured through that break in the mountains to get to new lands in the west. I'm such a historian!
Of course, this week has been pretty exciting--for most Americans--seeing as we just elected a new president. Emotions are running high here at UTK. As for me, I'm going to wait and see how things play out. I, too, have experienced a wide range of emotions, but I'm ready to let the system do its thing. My faith in America and Americans has not wavered.
Oh, I just got called in to see the professor of the Literacy in the Ancient World. Guess I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon re-writing my last paper. Grrrrrrrrrr!!
This will be a shorter blog than I anticipated, as I've got other writing to do now. Damn, grad school is HARD!!
