Shattered

My glasses broke this morning. If I wear them and keep my eyes pointed straight ahead, I see fine - if I look up at any point, well I get to see a big crack.

How awesome is that!

Also, why do people keep asking me if I'm Peter? (3 times this weekend)

"Laugh at Me" Vancouver Indie Artist against Homopobia

My friend Daylene posted this on facebook - its a local artist from Vancouver who hired a cast of 21 actors to do a "protest against homophobia".

Plus its just really nicely done!

Mail Box Woes

I have been in a eternal struggle to get a mailbox in the department... I go weekly to the mailbox room for graduate students to check. Again today I went in and once again my name was no where to be found on the box. So this time I got fed up and went to see the ever impressive, ever motherly, ever amazing Gillian to inquire about it.

Within 15 minutes I had a mailbox.

That woman is amazing.

Apparently someone forgot to include my name on the list of people that get mailboxes, rather than including it in the general mail.

Luckily now, my porn magazines can be put in a box rather than sit around for everyone to see.

Library Time

I am back in the Library again - I have spent pretty much the majority of my weekend here. I have an article due this week that I am madly trying to finish. I think it needs about another day and should be done. It seems that the Library cafeteria is the only place I've found where I can sit and use wireless all day without being bothered. I have not really found THE COFFEE SHOP yet that works well for me.

Although as I sit here and look out the window, I have just noticed the cutest little coffee shop across the street - perhaps I will try there tomorrow.

I have class this afternoon - we're talking about James's Portrait of A Lady... can we talk about how dull that book is? Dear lord!!!

Tomorrow Christine and Kath are coming into town to visit me and we are going to see Tori Amos (2 Tori shows in one month! EXCITING!!) It will be nice to see Christine - I've been missing her, and technically we should be able to see each other more.

In other news, Jes and I are planning a trip to Laramie, Wyoming for research in early November...

Back in Toronto

I am back from my amazing trip to New York. I had a rather harrowing trip and some how made it to class only an hour late.

It is raining here - and I don't even have my new New York umbrella with me... damn it

Jes Battis - intellecual and socially responsible, perhaps you all could talk about that too?

I made this comment on Jes's post about the article in the National Post discussing his Post Doc, but I wanted to post it here as well and expand upon it a bit.

To start with, I want to say that I am proud to call Jes my best friend, I am proud to call him my colleague, I am proud to say that he inspires me to be a better academic and a better person through his work, thoughts, speech, ideas, and friendship. Yes, I am another queer academic working in the field of queer theory and I am stepping up to defend him - should you not like that, well too bad... write your own blog post.

I think all of these comments are fantastic - baring the hip surgery concerns - but I would like to briefly point out that no one who is talking about this article (should we wish to call it that) or those who are commenting on Jes's posting of that "article" is actually mentioning his Post-Doc project.

Why are we not mentioning that Jes is one of the few individuals out there who is talking about queer youth, specifically queer AT RISK youth? Yes, he teaching popular culture, specifically television - but that is is teaching job, it is the position that he was GIVEN through CUNY. But even so, how can we say that television is not relevant - can someone name another media today that does not reflect the tenor of our lives at this current moment? Or of our histories?

But that is besides the point. Jes is not doing a Post-doc on television. He is doing a monograph on gay, lesbians, trans, bisexual teenagers and preteens who are seen as at risk for either public, private, and self violence - amongst other dangers. Is this not important? Is this not what the heart of this discussion should be about? Not that Jes got a tattoo or that he bought a book or teaches I Love Lucy in his classroom, but that he IS taking on a social responsible role as a young gay academic and is actually trying to make a difference. That he is looking at the teenagers who are afraid to be open about their gender or sexuality and feel the desire to chose death over life? Can we not talk about the fact that Jes might actually be giving them a voice? Giving them an outlet to expresses themselves - even if it is an indirect one? Could his work not be seen as Socially Responsible? In the vein that SSHRC strives to be?

This post doc will result in a look at young queer individuals who are both being written about and writing themselves - how exactly is that not socially responsible? Or Socially relevant?

Yes, Jes has published in the realm of popular culture and film and television studies, but what about his larger and more advanced work? What about his discussion of queer theory today? His look at gay youth? His discussion on queer fantasy novels and how that has social significance: in which he talks about drag culture, youth suicide amongst other topics?

I think we should perhaps keep that in mind when addressing Fulford's article. So please rather than go on about how Jes is just talking about television or movies or buffy the vampire slayer - perhaps ask him about his actual research, his actual interests, or his ideas and his beliefs - and you might find that there is more to him than Television and tattoos.

Also, should we be considering this as a type of fame? Why does having your research and academic name dragged through the mud equal being famous? I'm rather confused about that. As Jes mentioned to me, he was not lauded for his work, he was fucked up the ass by a National Newspaper.

Thanks

Am I Bovvered?

An op-ed piece was written today on Jes in the National Post - it's quite an interesting look at the natural of cultural studies in Canada. (I hope you all read the sarcasm in that.)

It really is quite entertaining.

Here is the article.

Kara Walker

I have a new favorite artist. Went to the Whitney yesterday - amazing gallery. Featured there was this artist named Kara Walker. She does mostly shadow etchings and pencil drawings that depict African-American women and their sexual, class, labour struggle during slavery - connecting it to contemporary images of African- America women.
Check out her exhibit at the Whitney, if you're in New York

Otherwise, her books are available on Amazon.

White Glases

I just met Eve Sedgwick - one of the nicest women I could ever possibly imagine. She shook my had and gave me this ENORMOUS smile when she walked in. I think I died a little bit.

I asked if I could meet with her tomorrow during her office hours - she said yes.

I am meeting with my academic idol tomorrow... my god!

How does one walk into a room and talk to the person you've spent your entire academic life worshipping? What exactly do I talk to her about?

Be Back Real Soon

Hi all... I am having a great time in New York... been exploring the city with Jes and testing out the summer plan a bit.

I will be back in Toronto on the 15th - I'll post after that. And Pictures will soon follow.

mj

Breathe (3am)

I am looking up Jes's address so that I have something to give the Customs people when I go through that horrible adventure. Ick.

It is 3am - I am showered, ready, and jiving to move! The 3am thing is throwing me too....

Ok, I am off to the Big Apple... (and Eve Sedgwick!)

Steady... Steady...

This weeks has been a series of constant irritations that put me in one of the worst moods I have ever been in, although Jes probably has a list of "Matt's worst bad moods ever", so he's totally judging this post when he reads it.

But I have never been so tired, and so stressed - well at least not in a very long time. I think it all stemmed from my weekend when I got zero sleep and then discovered that I had a shit load of work to do this week and could barely get any sleep. If it was not a piercing falling out, or forgetting about meetings, or realizing I had piles of marking to do (in one day), or a TA training session to do, or having to go out to Mississauga to meet with students - only to discover that no students were coming and no one told me not to come - or an almost broken ipod that magically fixed itself.

It's no wonder, after reading over that list, that I was in a bad mood. Crap.

But today, I am happy to report that I am in a much better mood. Going to the bank in a few, then off to campus to read until class. After class I will be at home doing laundry, packing, and watching CSI and Grey's Anatomy till I go to bed early tonight. Then, I am up at around 3 to get ready, grab my bag and head off to the airport - it's NYC time baby!

I wonder if that has anything to do with my good mood today? Hmmmmm

Taking Pause

This will be a bitchy post - be ready.

I did my first batch of marking for my TA post today, and I have to say - MOST FUCKED UP MARKING SYSTEM EVER! All it involves in paper work. I had to give them almost 4 different type of commentary on their papers. First you do marginal comments, then you have to fill out the comment form (yes there is a form) and finally you have the type up final comments. All of these comments have to be constructive and supportive in tone - well let me tell you, after reading 3 of those papers, any kind of supportive tone goes right out the fucking window. I tried my best to be constructive, but it just was not happening... they can't write a sentence worth shit, hell most of them can't even fucking spell.

Now, the 4th type of commentary will come tomorrow when I have to meet with my students and give them further feedback on their papers... will this involve me writing comments in my own blood?

I can understand wanting to help students as much as possible - but this system is totally redundant, I said the same thing 3 times and I will probably say the exact same thing again tomorrow to any of them little fuckers who are brave enough to come see me.

Oh yes, tomorrow will be a day of evil TA Matt... you know it will be...

Now I have to start reading for my class on Thursday - any suggestions on how I'm going to get through Norbert Elias's The Civilizing Process in a day, plus TA training and office hours.

For that matter - why the fuck am I going to a training session - I could teach that fucking thing! Fuck!

Can it be Friday now?

I am having one of those days where all I want to do is go home and go to bed. I did not get much sleep last night, for some reason I could not fall asleep and then the truck driver decided to leave for work at 5 am... waking me up of course. My alarm went off at 8 and I was up and out of bed.

I am behind in my readings and my marking - so I went to The Future Cafe on Bloor to read for class - did both articles in an hour. Then as I was walking down Bloor to Aroma, so I could check my email, I remembered that I have to make a doctors appointment to get a refill on my Thyroid pills. Naturally, they can't actually see me... I have to go to the clinic tomorrow at 9am to wait for a spot to open during their drop in period. Awesome.

I got to Aroma and ordered a fruit salad, as I was taking a bit I suddenly felt something metallic in my mouth - my labret piercing had fallen out and was sitting on my tongue. So now I have to go to the piercing place and get them to replace it. Naturally, the piercer won't be in till 1, which is when I am supposed to meet with my supervisor. So I had to send him an email telling him I would be late.

I am tired today and am kinda depressed. I miss home, I miss my friends, I miss Jes. But I am excited when I remember that in 4 days I will be getting on a plane and flying to New York to spend 10 days with Jes there.

This week is all about killing time.

Let us hope that nothing else irritating or upsetting happens today... cause I'll lose my fucking mind if it does. Hopefully, I will be able to find a copy of The Wire and can retire to my couch for the evening.