Nestled in the Room
I realize now that only a week has passed since this time last Tuesday when I was frantic and exhausted on account of finishing my narrative theory paper. It feels like much more time has passed since then.
In that time, I've taken up a new work-friendly residence, namely, the 24hr access / silent study room in Memorial Library. It's been under a week, but I am thoroughly absorbed in room culture (tall ceilings, nice windows, slick steel lamps and nice wooden chairs along rectangular work tables). It is a favorite locale visited by some other film folk, but I spent most of the non-social parts of my weekend here and generally like it as a place to work or retreat.
I had a good weekend - nicely balanced between work and play. On the work end, I've started to make progress on my documentary term paper (a study focusing on
Sherman's March) but I am interested in the uses of autobiographical documentary and how it can function as a "diary" or, by contrast, a "memoir." It is still in an early conception, but I've started to attack the somewhat intimidating force that is the UW library system (it is much harder to find / access things here than it was at Middlebury, largely because of an increased scale). So I worked on that, not quite as much as I would have liked, but that was part of my intellectual effort this weekend to just concentrate on work for an extended session. I also spent quite a bit of time working on my 100-level class this weekend - grading speeches, exams, and prepping out a new unit. I have to finish the remaining 7 speeches tonight and then I have a reprieve for two weeks until the next assignment starts coming in.
Lots of good play this weekend - a shopping trip with Anne to one of the crap-o malls in Madison, drinking wine at Laura's comfy cozy house, and then more wine at Tamar's party on Saturday night (after the Cinemascope showing of
How to Marry a Millionaire). It was a very social weekend - much more so than the previous, but it was a good time with lots of people getting together. I really enjoyed myself. There are lots of good people around... and it definitely feels like I am more set in my routine and that the workload has gone up a notch, but I am still getting by happily.
And, I should note, because it is curious, we're having Indian Summer, the sequel. I thought we'd moved onto a new, chilly season, but it's been surprisingly warm here lately. The leaves aren't as picturesque as Middlebury and they fall a lot faster... but it looks like fall, it's just been comfortably warm.
I also want to give a shout out congratulatory high-five to John who was accepted to study modernist poetry at Oxford. I am exceptionally proud of him and pleased to be in the company (at least in the same circle) as real intellectuals.
posted by lmjasinski at 3:26 PM
