propriety

What do you guys think of using the word 'shit' in academic papers? I'm citing in Spanish, but providing a translation in footnotes, and frankly, I can't think of a better way to write or talk about the use of the word 'cagar.' 'Crap' sounds too much like a euphemism, and 'excrement' sounds like I'm trying too hard to not say 'shit.' At the same time, I don't want to contribute to the continued degradation of academic discourse by being too cute with my use of four-letter words.

Renaissance Self-fashioning in DQ

Can any of you DQ specialists help me out with some examples of self-fashioning in DQ? I'm thinking of a line or two, which I can't find since I don't work with the text like some of ya'll, that goes something like "we know who we are but not who we want to be or become." It's very similar to Shakespeare's Hamlet.

The Joys of Weed

It is seems pipe smoking is making a comeback on college campuses. I'd like to think I had something to do with that...

An earful from the MLA

As promised, here is the 2008 MLA White Paper. I think it is excellent. It outlines a balanced but forward-looking position on reclaiming the importance of language and literature study in higher education.

Grades

The New York Times has an article about student expectations vis a vis grades. Just wondering what this august body feels about giving a C for an A effort. I sometimes suspect that I have fallen prey to the grade inflation monster.

Che

Has anyone seen Steven Soderbergh's recent movie on Che Guevara? It had a short run in selected theaters and was several hours long. It's supposed to be out on DVD about now.

Where do I go to invest?

Absolutely nothing to do with Spanish, but I thought I'd post this link about a splendid new product to be rolled out in India next year.

The Best Book in the World

I get annoyed at little things. Here's the latest. I don't know how many times I've read, in textbooks and even academic studies, that according to Cervantes, Tirant lo Blanc was the best book in the world. But even a rudimentary knowledge of narratology ought to make it clear that Cervantes says nothing of the sort; the priest says it. It may be true, and Cervantes may really have thought that, but the priest says it.

Ottawa anyone?

I just found this CFP for the Canadian Society for Renaissance Studies to be held in Ottawa in May. Today is the submission deadline. I'd like to go, pending acceptance and funding.

Film suggestion

I don't know if this is readily available, but maybe for our first film we should watch and discuss El Lazarillo de Tormes (1959). Damian and I saw this in Madrid some years back, and I have a copy from Films for the Humanities. If it's too hard to locate, though, we could view something else.

Virtual Film Fest

Last night I skimmed through a wretched little footloose-twenty-something 'comedy' called Gente Pez from 2001, and realized that I had no one to whom to kvetch about it. I'm not suggesting that we all watch that particular excretion, but it occurred to me that it might be fun to schedule a sort of virtual film fest, in which we all agree to watch a particular Spanish movie by a certain date, and then post about it.

Any takers? We could stick with Goya winners, or literary movies. We could even start with something we've all already seen. Lengua de las mariposas, anyone? Or, Mar adentro?

For example, in my opinion, Mar adentro is a well-made film that seeks to be thought-provoking, but that ultimately does not do justice to the big problem at its center. The film purports to explore the nuances around the 'right to die,' but in fact, it allows no nuance. The default 'correct' position is one favorable to the right to die. Those opposed to the 'right to die' on moral grounds are reduced to characatures. So despite the power of its performances (and Javier Bardem is great in it) it ultimately comes across as a one-sided jeremiad.

Are You Portable?

This article presents us the concept of "portable tenure." What do you think?

Adendum to Fish

I ran across an article on Stanley Fish's continuing crusade to banish politics from the Academy on this Chronicle blog. It's about an MLA session a month or so ago that I would have paid to see.

Dude goes too far

A finalist for our linguistics search, in conversation with students, stated that while she realizes that it wouldn't fly in Latin America, she prefers students to use "tú" with her. I believe her phrase was "el respeto no está en el pronombre". What do the esteemed readers of this blog think about this? I have to admit that I am of two minds. On the one hand, having gone to a hippie school where students never used anything but first names with profs, my urge is to level frivolous social hierarchies and empower my students. On the other, some might take it as an invitation to be less rather than more serious in their studies (whereas at my alma mater I think it worked in the opposite direction). Then again, the small percentage of my students who have studied in Latin American universities probably could not bring themselves to use "tú" with me. Another consideration is that my teaching style is definitely not as touchy-feely as my undergraduate education was: I want my students to begin developing a pretty clear set of communications and thinking skills, and to take away a personal yet solid understanding of certain texts and contexts. This may mitigate against any greater freedom gained by the use of the informal second person singular.

Doctor, Professor or Dude?

Joe Biden's wife has a Ph.D. Reporters are rather amused that people are referring to her as "Dr. Jill Biden," since she isn't a physician. This article brings up some interesting notions about the public perception of people with doctorates.