The View From Kalamazoo

Hmm. Yeah, but could I do with an M.A. – not a Ph.D.?
I miss teaching. A lot. I have friends who suggest I look at the local community colleges. How about this route? More on that here. Since This Place is my LaBrea Tar Pit, it seems … would a Ph.D. from here not offend them as much as more-than-one-degree-from-the-same-school immediately turns-off the academy?

Ah, yes. The sort of questions one asks a mentor. If I had one here. The boss is a Good Guy, but a lit person (I’m not) and in the UK for another month, anyway. It’s weird asking ‘what now?’ questions with someone who doesn’t particularly want to see me leave the job he counts on me to do – oh I’m certain he’d be straight with me, but it’s damn uncomfortable. Solid, saintly committee member now in NM is far too busy with his faculty and administrative positions there so I hesitate to bother the man even through he’d never tell me to shove off and go bother someone else. Two others left? I fear I get a lot of what they think I want to hear. I am (inconveniently after the fact) uncertain as to their interest in me or in answering my concerns, and some strange comments-veiled-as-questions leave me leaning toward not having them write for me again (the last thing I need is a wild card, much less two), should I set myself up for failure run the gauntlet apply anew. (I can’t rest on my hope that KY will be able to find funds..there needs to be a plan B. plans B-K would be even better) I have an outside reader who has offered to write. That would still make three – and I should be able to get another outside reader/recommender as well. Opinions on this strategy? Anyone?

“It wasn’t him, Charley, it was you. … You was my brother, Charley, you shoulda looked out for me. … I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let’s face it. It was you, Charley.”