Marc Bosquet has a great piece at the Valve in response to the NYTimes piece about humanities PhDs and the economy. The thrust of the Times piece is what a terrible effect plummeting endowment values and constricted state budgets are having on job possibilities for humanities PhDs. The thrust of Bos...

Hilzoy has a great post up about the bankruptcy of all this 'Going Galt' bullshit. To sum up: on what date, specifically, can we look forward to the fine innovators and creators at pajamasmedia to Go Galt? Michelle, please let me know in advance when you are going to withdraw your wealth-creating ta...

I like this Chronicle piece about one assistant professor's (it's really very hard for me to not type "ass. prof." every time I write that) approach to writing a monograph while teaching a 4/4. I like it because it is practical and sensible and presumes that some people actually go about scholarly b...

I woke up in an exceptionally good mood given the gallon of fluid in my sinuses, and then I opened my inbox where this story had been sent by a friend and now my mood is shot. Faced with mounting unpaid lunch charges, Albuquerque Public Schools last month instituted a "cheese sandwich policy," servi...

Did y'all know that Dr. B is giving up the blog-posting for Lent? Yea. She even started early because of the implicit competition that is always running here at Casa de Bitch about who is the best Catholic. Not willing to be bested by such a strategy, I have decided, after much meditation about maxi...

I have been pissing on academia a lot lately, so now I would like to note, in the interest of perspective, a distinct advantage of the profession: I can work in the bathtub. Any other similarly sunshiney rosey-colored comments welcome....

Just a quick announcement post to note that one or two fabulous bitches will be guest blogging tomorrow. Fierce feminists Jaclyn Friedman and Jess Valenti (I love it so much when people have their own wikipedia entries) will be stopping at Bitch headquarters on their virtual book tour. Yes Means Yes...

It's really fucking hard to do one's job well and with enthusiasm when one knows one's job is going to end in 3 months, inevitably. I mean, maybe it's not hard if your job is being in a Broadway play. But teaching is hard when you can't see past the end of the semester. And when you have 2 new preps...

I am pretty laid back in the classroom. I joke with my students, I talk about football, my weekend activities, share personal anecdotes. I like them to do the same. I often wear jeans to class. I don't really care what they call me (although since I have graduated, if they ask what to call me, I say...

I'm late to this on account of The Greatest Franchise in the History of Sports, but Thomas Benton's Chronicle piece on why no one should go to grad school in the humanities is not to be missed. The occasion of prospective graduate students visiting my institution this week has me wanting to pass out...