I’m late. I should’ve been there by now. If I’d’ve left ten minutes ago, I would be. But as I’m running out my office, my boss stops by. I slow my pace and we chat until he gets a call. I dash down the hall in the opposite direction. I’m in my car, speeding up [...]
Nearly a year after completing my Ph.D. in English literature, I recently landed what fewer than half of my peers will ever achieve: a tenure-track job. In itself, it’s a dream come true—the culmination of over a decade of college; countless solitary summer days cursing in front of the computer when everyone else is at [...]
Overheard on Ash Wednesday:
Coworker #1: I don’t get his whole Lent thing; you have to give up something you really like?
Coworker #2: Yeah, like chocolate or meat or beer, something that would be hard to live without.
Coworker #1: If it is something you are supposed to really care about, could you give [...]
Dear Cedric,
My doctor’s pen carries a “Viagra” logo. The clock on her wall has “Ambien” emblazoned across its face. Should I be taking those drugs? Is she sending me a subconscious signal?
Jennifer A.
Dear Jennifer,
As doctors, we do get trained in the subconscious. We know it’s an effective tool in treating our patients. However, the pen [...]
Recently, a friend and I were lamenting the fact that, since graduating college and becoming college instructors ourselves, we no longer get to experience the constant validation we received as students. Instead, we’ve become the agents of validation (or, too often, invalidation)—and we both feel somewhat bereft as a result. Although I’m now presumably helping [...]