I just met with my dissertation committee and they signed off on my prospectus! I am excited to start writing! I still have some minor revisions to make before I submit my prospectus to the graduate chair, but hopefully those will be done this week.
I am also excited about teaching English 290 (US lit, origins to 1865) for the first time this summer! The Puritans are proving to be a tough sell. Today I thought I would hook them by showing a clip from True Blood and talking about what we find entertaining today before talking about how Rowlandson's captivity narrative was one of the most popular texts of the seventeenth century. There is a lot of blood and fascination with social others in both sources! It was an epic popular culture fail. It was nice to see the resident athlete and cynic unite in their distaste over my television reference, though.
In other news, our car keeps getting rifled through yet none of my CDs are ever stolen. It is almost as if people in Fton don't WANT the Twilight soundtrack! Yep, I might be going overboard in terms of my vampire guilty pleasures!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Old Radicals
This morning at church there was a viewing of Old Radicals, a documentary some friends in the neighborhood made about a couple who have been married 47 years and do peacekeeping work in the middle east. In the film, they talk about having the "grandmother effect," the idea that there are some things that even soldiers won't do in front of their grandparents. Just their presence makes people aware that others are watching and often changes violent behavior.
The film is amazing, and made me think more about living peacefully in Franklinton. A lot of other people in the community do witnessing when they see violent behavior, which means that they go outside and watch silently when they see a fight or drug deal, or even a police officer pull someone over. Sometimes the police need to be watched, too. Like the grandmother effect, it shows that others are watching the behavior and can change how people interact.
I like the idea of witnessing, but I don't do it by myself. I don't inspire the grandmother effect. I have the small and vulnerable little girl effect, which means that I am constantly aware and on guard when I am walking the streets. Even today when I was walking Asher I got nervous when a guy pulled over and said he liked my dog. Half the time when someone pulls over while I am walking Asher, it is someone I know in the neighborhood. Sometimes it is a guy in the car who says something innocuous but still makes me nervous. Once in awhile it is someone in a nice car or a student with an OSU hang tag who is clearly lost and probably thinks I am a nonthreatening person to ask for directions. Regardless, I am always on guard.
The man in the documentary stood in front of tanks because the Christian peace teams are trained to do whatever nonviolent actions they can to stop violence. I am clearly not at that point. Don't worry Mom. I think Brian is, which terrifies me. The girls always talk about how our biggest fear about living in the city is someone we love getting hurt trying to live our values. Anyway, that is another post.
The other cool thing about watching the documentary was the conversation afterwords. I got to hear the congregation's reaction, most of whom are a generation or two older than me. The doc ends with the couple talking about how anyone can be a young radical, but it is the old radicals who are really special. It is true that as we get more comfortable and stable in our lives it is harder to live our ideals (one of the things that worries me about having kids, but that is also another post). It was inspiring to look around at the women and men at our church and see how they are working for peace in their own lives. I was overwhelmed with love for the people at our church and the wisdom they bring. It reminded me how much I have to learn and how I need to be in community with those outside of our friends who are our age. That being said, I still ended up talking to Jed and Hannah after church instead of mingling outside the group. More to think about and work on!
Most of the people at our church are pretty liberal, but living peacefully is not a political issue. Certainly Christians are often represented as being conservative, but really trying to live like Jesus is radical in a way that goes beyond politics. Loving your neighbors is radical. Following the Bible's teachings on money and living simply is often terrifyingly radical and difficult. We have a lot to learn from each other.
Here is the link to Old Radicals. Check it out! http://www.noondayfilms.com/oldradicals/
The film is amazing, and made me think more about living peacefully in Franklinton. A lot of other people in the community do witnessing when they see violent behavior, which means that they go outside and watch silently when they see a fight or drug deal, or even a police officer pull someone over. Sometimes the police need to be watched, too. Like the grandmother effect, it shows that others are watching the behavior and can change how people interact.
I like the idea of witnessing, but I don't do it by myself. I don't inspire the grandmother effect. I have the small and vulnerable little girl effect, which means that I am constantly aware and on guard when I am walking the streets. Even today when I was walking Asher I got nervous when a guy pulled over and said he liked my dog. Half the time when someone pulls over while I am walking Asher, it is someone I know in the neighborhood. Sometimes it is a guy in the car who says something innocuous but still makes me nervous. Once in awhile it is someone in a nice car or a student with an OSU hang tag who is clearly lost and probably thinks I am a nonthreatening person to ask for directions. Regardless, I am always on guard.
The man in the documentary stood in front of tanks because the Christian peace teams are trained to do whatever nonviolent actions they can to stop violence. I am clearly not at that point. Don't worry Mom. I think Brian is, which terrifies me. The girls always talk about how our biggest fear about living in the city is someone we love getting hurt trying to live our values. Anyway, that is another post.
The other cool thing about watching the documentary was the conversation afterwords. I got to hear the congregation's reaction, most of whom are a generation or two older than me. The doc ends with the couple talking about how anyone can be a young radical, but it is the old radicals who are really special. It is true that as we get more comfortable and stable in our lives it is harder to live our ideals (one of the things that worries me about having kids, but that is also another post). It was inspiring to look around at the women and men at our church and see how they are working for peace in their own lives. I was overwhelmed with love for the people at our church and the wisdom they bring. It reminded me how much I have to learn and how I need to be in community with those outside of our friends who are our age. That being said, I still ended up talking to Jed and Hannah after church instead of mingling outside the group. More to think about and work on!
Most of the people at our church are pretty liberal, but living peacefully is not a political issue. Certainly Christians are often represented as being conservative, but really trying to live like Jesus is radical in a way that goes beyond politics. Loving your neighbors is radical. Following the Bible's teachings on money and living simply is often terrifyingly radical and difficult. We have a lot to learn from each other.
Here is the link to Old Radicals. Check it out! http://www.noondayfilms.com/oldradicals/
Monday, June 7, 2010
Reunion
I went to my five year college reunion this weekend. I really only went to hear one of my favorite Women's Studies professors lecture, then Brian and I walked around town for awhile. None of my good friends went, but I still see my college roommates a couple of times a year, which is nice but not often enough! It is so hard to fit everything in now that we have jobs and families (or school and dogs).
It was weird coming from FTON to Granville and seeing all of the fancy looking alumnus. It is a bit of a culture shock, but I have spent the last almost ten years of my life on college campuses, not in lower income neighborhoods. While most college campuses do tend to cater to a privileged audience, I can't pretend that I'm not more comfortable in the classroom than walking Asher alone down our street. I don't know if that will ever change.
Well, Brian is writing a new song on his guitar and he needs me to sing backup. Better go!
It was weird coming from FTON to Granville and seeing all of the fancy looking alumnus. It is a bit of a culture shock, but I have spent the last almost ten years of my life on college campuses, not in lower income neighborhoods. While most college campuses do tend to cater to a privileged audience, I can't pretend that I'm not more comfortable in the classroom than walking Asher alone down our street. I don't know if that will ever change.
Well, Brian is writing a new song on his guitar and he needs me to sing backup. Better go!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Security/Systems
Well, I am selling out and getting a security system since Brian is traveling so much. I am not very happy about the idea of it, but understand that it is probably not a bad idea in terms of personal safety. I think a preoccupation with personal safety is a bad idea, but not one that I have been able to avoid.
Mostly I am unhappy about supporting a business that sells a product based on protecting material possessions. Unfortunately, we live in an economic system where spending money is often an effective way to show personal values. In capitalism, sometimes it feels like the most you can do is support the businesses you want to prosper and try to avoid those you feel are harmful. It makes money powerful, which is problematic at the least. It is why we spend $3 for half a gallon of local milk (which of course a lot of people can't do). It is also why we left our old church en masse when they said that raising enough money for a building extension would show it is God's will. When money shows power (or a vote), the poor are powerless (or voiceless). So I am uncomfortable spending money in the same way as someone living in a gated community trying to keep poor people from stealing their tv.
However, I also want to communicate freely with my neighbors but don't open the door when people come over and I am alone. I understand that these contradictions are a part of me living in this neighborhood and I am trying to come to terms with them. I also respect that my family has been incredibly understanding about our lifestyle choices and that getting a security system would give them some peace of mind. And honestly, it will give me some peace of mind, too, (until it accidentally goes off in the middle of the night when our street cats jump on our windows).
Mostly I am unhappy about supporting a business that sells a product based on protecting material possessions. Unfortunately, we live in an economic system where spending money is often an effective way to show personal values. In capitalism, sometimes it feels like the most you can do is support the businesses you want to prosper and try to avoid those you feel are harmful. It makes money powerful, which is problematic at the least. It is why we spend $3 for half a gallon of local milk (which of course a lot of people can't do). It is also why we left our old church en masse when they said that raising enough money for a building extension would show it is God's will. When money shows power (or a vote), the poor are powerless (or voiceless). So I am uncomfortable spending money in the same way as someone living in a gated community trying to keep poor people from stealing their tv.
However, I also want to communicate freely with my neighbors but don't open the door when people come over and I am alone. I understand that these contradictions are a part of me living in this neighborhood and I am trying to come to terms with them. I also respect that my family has been incredibly understanding about our lifestyle choices and that getting a security system would give them some peace of mind. And honestly, it will give me some peace of mind, too, (until it accidentally goes off in the middle of the night when our street cats jump on our windows).
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