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Friday I attended an information seminar about graduate school, apparently designed to communicate that graduate school was both unattainable and unworthy of attainment, should the committee fail in its duties and allow me to slip through.

An MA apparently being mostly a device to boost salaries and a PhD a goal for serious aspirants to English professorhood ONLY. No Dilettantes Allowed. However, we should not expect to get any jobs with our PhDs, as there is a glut.

The whole business was more depressing than either plain or ornamented text can communicate. Everyone keeps saying very firmly that on no account should you admit that you love literature, since that is childish and irrelevant.

Myself I have always aspired to English professors in a slightly different way. Although *not*, I hasten to add, in the case of GMRB! for the simple reason that when the presenter mentioned "Your mentor or advisor" I suddenly realized that for the first time in my academic career there was someone who might actually fit that role. Though he has not formally offered and I don't want to take it for granted.

Edit: "The first time" is unfair. People have tried to help me at various times in my life when I wasn't able to accept it properly.

Edit again: And I wasn't even clever enough to be grateful.

Later I consoled myself with elaborate rejection fantasies culminating in my pathetic death.

In the evening, the Great Lake Swimmers at Lucky Bar, which was much better.

{rf}