Blogs are Few and Far Between

Yes, I don't blog enough for my devoted readers--Sharon Brown and Trish Kogler.  So, as I have a few minutes of free time and can't seem to focus on my studies, I'll sketch out an update of my life right now.

The biggest thing in my life at this moment in time is preparation for my comprehensive exams. Before I can begin work on my dissertation, I must first demonstrate my mastery of American history through both a written and oral examination.  To accomplish this, I work with three advisors:  Dr. F., my overall advisor, Dr. H., he who gave me such grief my first semester but who I have since come to admire greatly, and Dr. B., whose class on the Atlantic World I really enjoyed. 

Each of these advisors has come up with a list of books for me to read to prepare for my exams.  Dr. F. has assigned me a series of primary sources spanning the first half of the nineteenth century, including such famous works as Alexis DeToqueville's Democracy in America, Tom Paine's Common Sense, and Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.  As I am reading most of the books on his list alongside his nineteenth-century reading seminar, I am getting a greater understanding than I might have by just reading these works on my own.  And, truth be told, I'm really enjoying these books.  Each one is so famous it feels like I should already have read it.  I like the idea of being able to brag that I've read Frances Trollope's Domestic Manners of the Americans and Frederick Law Olmstead's The Cotton Kingdom.  Makes me sound like an actual historian. 

From Dr. B., I have a large group of books, generally focused on women in the colonial period.  As I read through the initial list of about twenty-five books, I became aware of two central themes.  The first is that colonial women were remarkably adaptable, sometimes following the traditional path of wife and mother and sometimes traveling very different routes.  The second theme stems from an essay I read on the use of the family and/or the household as a category of analysis.  From this second, I can see that ties of family or household affected women's lives in economic, social, religious, and political ways.  Once I had uncovered these two themes, Dr. B. assigned me many more books that will help me flesh these out.  So far, I'd have to say that my favorite has been Revolutionary Backlash by Rosemarie Zagarri.  Zagarri suggests that the women (white, of course) who lived during the American Revolution played an important role in the politics of the time, from supporting their husbands by maintaining the family economy to participating in boycotts and political events and reading and writing about political issues.  These more public opportunities gradually diminished as the rise of universal male suffrage, party politics, and the idea of "republican motherhood" (it was the role of women to raise sons who would carry on the works of the Founding Fathers) took hold in the early nineteenth century.  The number of books assigned by Dr. B. feels overwhelming, but I can't help loving what I'm learning.

From Dr. H. come books that I'm far more comfortable with than any of those assigned by Dr. F. or Dr. B.  Dr. H. has me reading on reunion and reconciliation after the Civil War, including my old favorite, David Blight's Race and Reunion.  Each of the author's I'm reading for Dr. H. takes Race and Reunion and either complicates the idea of reunion or points to exceptions to Blight's rather general conclusion that reunion was somehow all-inclusive.  As I have read several of the books on Dr. H.'s list already, it feels good to reunite with these topics.

As anyone reading this can see, I'm in love with American history.  I mean, I love lots of things and people--chocolate, Tony Stewart, Diet Coke, my family, tacos, friends, Smoke the cat and Penny the dingo, etc.--but American history stands out.  Its not just the topic of my educational pursuits, its my passion.

It turns out, I'm also passionate about my job at the McClung Museum.  My boss, the newly married Lindsey Gharavi, has turned out to be a wonderful teacher, and her knowledge as an art historian has once again sparked my interest in art.  Plus, she's got an amazing collection of books on art and is not reluctant to lend them to me!  The work itself here is also very gratifying.  I led my first solo lecture just this past Monday--and it was wonderful.  The class was a first-year studies group, all new freshmen, who are learning the ropes of being a student at UT.  I was able to lead them through quick tours of the Native Peoples and Decorative Experience galleries while also providing an overview of the museum and ideas on how to be an informed, curious museum visitor.  This week I also drew up my first list of objects for use in a specific class, the class in question being one in Japanese art.  One of the great things about the McClung is that its a general, all-purpose museum, with a little bit of everything in the collections.  Thus, it works for a wide variety of educational purposes and specific classes.  And everyone here is no nice!  Its been a long time since I've worked in an atmosphere where people are actually dedicated to the same goals and work well with each other.

After my lecture, I was so relieved and happy
that I wanted to take a nap, right here in the
Decorative Experience gallery.

As ever, the friends I have here at UT help keep my homesickness at bay.  Tuesday dinners with Tess and Minami keep me sane; they both passed their comprehensive exams in September and thus provide hope that I might do the same in November.  Wednesday evenings are set aside for phone calls with Chantalle, and I love that she's working at Purdue (her favorite place in the world) and is loving her new job as an advisor in the Biochemical Engineering department.  I miss Annie terribly, as she is now working at Vanderbilt in Nashville in the Religious Studies department--texts and the occasional visit help when I really need to talk with her.  And History Department life is busy as ever.  This week, Rachel Chrastil spoke on her work on childlessness in Western Europe and North America from the early modern age to the present.  It was not only a terrific lecture, but spending time with my pals is always a treat.

Amanda, me, Alyssa, Tess, and Liz were joined by Laura,
Minami, and Claire for the thought-provoking lecture

So, readers, that's a little snapshot of what's going on now.  I am looking forward to the completion of my exams--and, of course, hopefully the passing of said exams.  Mostly, I'm ready for a break, to come to California, to see my babies, my dog, my family, my friends, and my room at Aunt Sandy's house.  The next month will be a stressful one for me, but I'm hoping for a good outcome and a fun vacation back home.

Ta ta for now....