"And Then They Sent Me Away to Teach Me How to Be Sensible..."
I've wanted to write this entry for awhile, especially in light of the fact that I've uncovered a lot of new(er) blogs by academics. And I'm going to show my blog to my students in my argumentation course tomorrow because we are talking about arguments in electronic environments, and I want to be honest about my place in the blogging community, that I'm not just a reader but a participant. So, why do I keep a blog? And why do I use my real name?

Though my PhD is technically in English with a concentration in rhetoric and composition, I often think of my degree as being in nonfiction. When it comes to published texts, I am primarily a scholar of autobiography. Since high school, I can remember being drawn to stories about how people lived their lives. Actually, it would probably be possible to trace this interest even earlier since I would spend summers at the county library reading from the Great Lives series in the history section. When I was an English major, I would often infuse my papers with biographical data from the authors and how I believed that influenced the texts. Many scholars disagree with such analyses, but others welcome them. I was drawn to such work.

In graduate school, I discovered rhetoric and composition and realized that I could make a career out of studying the writing process and how people create texts about their lives. This includes autobiography explicitly but also any nonfiction that expresses a personal point of view. I loved it, especially when I started teaching, and realized I had found my academic home.

At the same time that I was encountering this field that would take over my life, I was living away from home completing the coursework for my PhD. I learned that online journals existed and thought that keeping one would give me something different to do with my time and a way to connect with Da Man further since he could read it while we lived apart. I used a pseudonym derived from old college roommate names. It was a new and unknown medium in 1999, and I just wanted to wade into a shallow pool before diving in head first.

Then, blogging tools came along, which led to two things. One, it became incredibly easy to post entries to the web. It was easy to journal with HTML, but there were times I did not want to pull out the templates and change the code. Two, many, many, many people began to blog, and the act of blogging became much more normalized. In a sense, it's an ordinary act.

As I mentioned a few entries back, more and more academics are blogging. Many are choosing to use pseudonyms or withhold information about their institutions or teaching. I can certainly understand that. But I have chosen to keep this blog as part of my university webspace, to attach it to my official webpage (with office address and such), and to use my real name. What's up with that?

Well, again, I study autobiography in all its forms. Of course that means I would take blogs and journals seriously since they are a primary site of autobiographical expression. One reason I keep one is to engage in the same process and see how it works from the inside out. I have always believed that scholars should engage in the processes that create the objects they study. Art historians do not need to become painters, but taking a class or trying it out every once in a while can add a new perspective on what they study everyday. So, I play with this form and learn more about what it's all about.

Now, some people would question my being so public by wondering whether students should have access to this part of my life. Like any writer, I recognize that I need to think about what I reveal and what I hold back. And there's nothing in this blog that would embarrass me in any professional context. I actually think that one of the values of academic blogging is that students can get a glimpse into the lives of those who shape their college careers. So much of the academic life is hidden, for various reasons. I like the fact that students can learn more about what makes us tick. Personally, I want my students to know that what I teach them in class is what I do in real life. When I talk about a writing strategy or a way to handle an assignment, I want students to know that I practice what I preach. I have them do things that I do, that I know will work from experience. What my students do in my research course is what I do with research, what I did that week I spent in New York at the archives last June.

I do know of a couple of students who have read my blog and still check it out occasionally. They've left comments, sent emails, and asked questions. I like that because I think that shows how learning continues. Learning does not just happen in the classroom or on campus. Besides, my students could just go the library and check out a couple of books that contain essays I've written that describe how I met Da Man though a personal ad or how I lost my first partner to AIDS, and that's a part of my publishing history that helped me to secure this job.

There are some blogs I read regularly, but I do not link to them, primarily because of their subject matter, frank but intelligent discussions of issues related to gender and sexuality, for example. I admit that I don't want to deal with any potential hassle of linking to them from university space. It may not be an issue, but that is one area on the blog where I do hold back.

Some people use their blogs to vent about students or colleagues or the annoyances of academic life. I can certainly understand the need for that. But, that's what Da Man is for! If anyone comes here looking for gossip or expects to find something shocking, you're out of luck. Even if you think there's something in this blog that has no place in the classroom, I can probably explain exactly how it would fit in my classroom.

Of course, there are many entries that are not about my academic work. What regular reader can forget my scintillating accounts of backing up my computer or trying to fix the broken toilet? Well, I do sometimes bring those things up in the classroom, usually in the before-class banter of what happened last weekend. Furthermore, much of that mundane stuff is in here because there are multiple audiences for this, including friends I've had for decades. When Da Man leaves next week, he'll be checking it out more, too. We talk almost daily, but this is further insight into what's going on in my life. In addition, I like showing that two men can form a relationship that can last a decade, which it will be in November. So much press out there sends the message about how unstable and deranged gay relationships can be. We're more normal than many would think.

Cindy had a very interesting post recently about the relationship between her identity and her job. It made me realize that my life and my job are pretty much integrated. There are reasons why that may be a bad thing. It would be for some people. But I see it as a good thing for me. I like the connections I've been able to develop between my personal and professional lives. Sure, there are days I wish I could really "get away from it all," and then I realize that I can't because every magazine article I read, film I watch, or television show I see becomes potential fodder for teaching and research. Ninety-five percent of the time, I love that. It's only occasionally that it bugs the crap out of me.

I think blogs are great. There is so much out there that I am not reading, and I know I'm missing some things I would love. But it's great that these exist, and great that a lot of academics are trying them on for size. It's fun to be a part of such a group.
- posted by Nels @ 6:03 PM | | | Link |