Showing posts with label in my defense. Show all posts
Showing posts with label in my defense. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

The first day.

Yesterday was the first first day, but today was the first day I met students. It was everything such days are meant to be (I feel bullets. I feel bullets real hard.):

  • early rise-y
  • extra complicate-y
  • not enough nutrition-y
  • super tired feet-y
I know you feel me.

However, I did not see this coming: a student told me that he could not read--could not!--the contemporary poetry anthology I had selected as one of the texts for a course I am teaching. It's because he is only interested in the great poets, and these (picture a derisive, dismissive gesture) contemporary poets would contradict, nay, pollute his poetic progress! 

I will pause, so that you may reflect.

(He was nice when he said it, but still.) 

I know, I know. I don't need to worry about this. Moving on: one of the complicate-y things about this day was that I had to hightail it out of my last class lickety split to drive to Wasatch County for a little conference of art house film exhibitors. As I mentioned to my eldest daughter in an international text message, 


Obviously, when the opportunity to go to this conference arose, and I recognized that it was happening on the first day of classes, I should have sent my regrets. However, I did not. Instead, I figured out how I would (a) pack my overnight goods, and (b) get up far too early, and (c) make sure I had every needful thing in my school bag, and (d) hightail it lickety &c., all to make two sessions and a keynote. 

However, in my own and in my over-committed schedule's defense, the keynote was Leonard Maltin, who was in fine raconteur form and earned a standing ovation from the grateful crowd. I learned that art house cinemas are all facing the same issues, but they're a hardworking and courageous bunch, and I'm kind of proud to be playing my tiny little part in helping them along.

And now I will watch a little television until I am unconscious. That is all.



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