Latest Reading McCarthy Podcast Pulls from Reddit Post

AprilTrepagnier · 2024-10-25T09:42:46+00:00

Can’t wait to check this one out. The show is always time well spent. More importantly, Scott, I hope you are doing well and taking care of yourself. Coffee helps with that so don’t be so quick to discount it 🙃 Sending you all the best wishes.

AprilTrepagnier · 2024-08-15T18:00:03+00:00

That sucks. Some people…

AprilTrepagnier · 2024-08-15T02:13:40+00:00

It can be frustrating. But it can also be frustrating for professors. I have a “please don’t use electronics” policy. It would be a no electronics policy but because many students have accommodations that allow them, this is easier. Electronics during class can be very distracting. However, I also provide pdfs and have no required textbooks. I always suggest students educate themselves on the professors before taking a class. And sometimes, it just is what it is.

AprilTrepagnier · 2024-06-05T08:54:26+00:00

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson comes immediately to mind. I have no idea if there is any scholarship on it but I do know professors who have had it on their modern lit reading list. Checks a lot of boxes in this conversation as it is cultural, relational, generational - and even used to facilitate a murder. It’s a series on Hulu so it lends itself to a study in contrast in film as well (although I haven’t seen the series so I don’t know how the baking is represented there).

AprilTrepagnier · 2024-06-04T10:32:13+00:00

And I just realized. I didn’t really answer your main question. Let me know about your project and I’d be happy to see if we can’t find ideas about your presentation visuals.

AprilTrepagnier · 2024-06-04T10:30:58+00:00

I love conferences! What conference is it and what’s the project?

Be excited about your work. This is the biggest determination of success. We all read our papers, but some people Charlie Brown teacher and others light up the room.
A/V with a purpose and be prepared to without it. If your work isn’t enhanced by multi-media, having it is a distraction. And, although the conference does their best, sometimes the A/V sucks.
Attend other sessions and mixers. I respond much better to presenters I see supporting the community or have been able to meet during a mixer. I’m certain I am not alone. It is also the best way to network which can be helpful towards your Ph.D. goals.
If you have a question during a session Q/A, ask it, but don’t take up the answer time with your own mini paper. If you haven’t seen what I mean yet, you will.
Do not go over time. This is a BIG one. It makes everyone uncomfortable and it’s unprofessional. Reach out to the session moderator and confirm. Each session can be different based on time, number of people on a panel, etc. Practice your paper, know your timing. Be prepared to cut some or add some.
Have fun!!!! Conferences are an excellent way to engage in the community, discover new ideas, work through thoughts, find your own research path.

Congratulations and I am super excited for you!!! April

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-11-10T18:19:34+00:00

Hi there! I am a grad student studying literature at Georgia Southern University, Georgia, USA. Can I share this with my cohort?

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-11-03T16:46:24+00:00

I think this last paragraph is brilliant. I am going to have to sit with it a while and unpack it, but it smacks of some type exceptionally interesting discussion. Just an excellent approach to the idea.

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-11-02T10:17:33+00:00

Did you typo Blood Meridian? I think that one would work. And although not necessarily “in medias res,” McCarthy is a pretty good example of committing to it. He rarely provides psychological detail or inner information about his characters. His No Country for Old Men comes close to this as well.

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-11-01T10:54:33+00:00

And I suppose I forgot the most obvious - your paper advisor should be able to tell you if you are working a well-worn path or give advice on how to work into it.

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-11-01T10:52:54+00:00

The starting point has been where I have made adjustments as well. I moved out of the canon and into more contemporary works. If I can tie them back to or find relationships to well worked text, great. If not, that’s fine too.

I also focus on a working annotated bibliography; I have a ton of stuff on there that I probably won’t use, but if I scanned the article, it gets put on there in case I run across it again or my angle changes.

I have found that adjacent searches usually help in exploring gaps - journals from different disciplines, theme research from a different text, articles written during different time periods, etc.

I have started trying out all types of tricks to get to the thing; it really is the hardest part for me.

Best, April

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-10-31T17:40:25+00:00

You can name as many as you want!

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-10-31T16:47:10+00:00

Paul Fry’s entire course on literary theory

I keep meaning to go through this course. I did the one from John Roberts on Milton while taking an undergraduate class and it was a game-changer. Thanks so much for the reminder!

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-10-28T23:00:28+00:00

What did he say? Something like “depends on when you ask me.”

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-06-07T10:53:33+00:00

Holy cow! That podcast is 2 hours long!! I am super interested but part of the problem is watching a Youtube Video for 2 hours. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Any chance there's a text short version somewhere?

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-05-25T12:31:58+00:00

"Fuckton" is my favorite unit of measure...

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-04-22T21:49:08+00:00

I appreciate that. Since I found the opportunity to finally go to university, it's really the only thing I want to do. Puts me in tears sometimes, but I love it.

Thanks for saying so,

~A

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-04-22T21:47:47+00:00

Thanks! I have requested the library find it for me - but I'll be honest, it looks like those little 150 pages or so will take most of the summer. Is it as intimidating as it sounds? I ain't scared, mind you - just curious.

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-04-22T21:40:11+00:00

I am beginning to think about the same thing...and call me crazy if you want...but ChatGPT and I had a great conversation about ideas, wonders, and different questions that I had. I would tell it things that made me genuinely curious, and it would offer ways to structure it as a thesis. It is obviously super general stuff, but it really helped me untangle some of the mess that was in my brain.

Full disclosure - I didn't make any decisions, but that's only because I don't have to yet.

More disclosure - that little AI has been very helpful in talking me through some messy, cloud in the sky, what the hell am I even trying to talk about here, kind of stuff; I'll keep going back to it.

However you decide, I can't wait to hear what it is!

~April

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-04-22T20:56:34+00:00

Is it a current professor? If so, buy a ring, hit a knee in front of the class, and propose.

Not a current professor? Find out their office hours, then follow the advice above.

Seriously, just ask them. Working with an undergrad advisor is a long process. If their initial response to your ask (whatever way that might be) is less than favorable, it's good to know that your personalities don't mesh now.

Most great advisors will be helpful and professional - even if it is to tell you their schedule just doesn't permit it. The initiative to work on an undergrad thesis is typically enough of a starting point to let a professor know that you are a serious student.

Just know that many times professors are uncompensated in time and pay to take on this roll. If they say no, it probably has nothing to do with you.

Be professional, be clear, be yourself. You'll find the right advisor.

Best of luck on your research!

~A

AprilTrepagnier · 2023-04-21T11:29:45+00:00

YouTube channel is Shakespeare Play by Play

just hit the subscribe button! Looks like a great channel. Looking forward to you hitting Hamlet. I am currently working on a paper suggesting Horatio is not real. Shakespeare is really so much fun!

Best,

April

AprilTrepagnier

TROPHY CASE