word-dazed late-night post

[devi]

I am in Oxford, it's freezing hard outside and there's a funny yellow moon. I have finally broken 25,000 words (with the help of a small Totoro and Winston the orange cat) and I am jubilant. I know it's 2am and I should go to bed. Instead I am going to have a glass of wine and watch Galaxy Quest. Hurrah!

I wrote to one of my old DCU lecturers today, asking him if he'd give me an academic reference for the coming job-hunt. He just mailed back saying he's left academia, and sorry - but he remembers me, and my thesis topic, and wishes me luck. This has made me sad and happy at the same time - happy he remembers me and sad that he's no longer blowing students' minds. He was unhinged and brilliant, obsessed with mythology and collective consciousness and poetry, had a glorious disregard for teaching anything practical or careery, and had a huge impact on me. It's taken me the last eight years to figure out the full meaning of some of the stuff he taught. I should tell you about him some time, when I'm feeling more coherent.

But now, wine and cat-on-lap and film and bed.

Comments

[otterylexa.livejournal.com]

I can't really see why having left academia means he can't give you a reference; he taught you, he remembers you, he can write a letter and say so, surely?

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

It's a bit more specific than that and does require him to be working there, but I'm not going to talk about the thing I'm going for till it looks as if it's going to happen. Cryptic much?