Looking Back at my MLA Experiences

The Job Interview
I know this is what many of you want to hear about, so I'll start with it, drawing from the notes I took Friday morning, right after it took place.

It went well, but in retrospect I know I could have done much better. It's hard not to keep thinking later of what I could have said, and, most importantly, what I forgot to say, which is very sad. I was very much myself, as Articulate Dad recommended, but I could have given more specific answers. The part in which they asked me to introduce myself was the worst, my mind went blank and I almost started mumbling. I certainly wasn't prepared enough -- I didn't do any mock-interviews. I should also have memorized a little speech, since in my introductory remarks I should have "sold" myself much better. Weak, I was weak then. It got better later, but still, as the saying goes (at least in Portuguese), first impressions are those that stay.

I have no idea whether I'll go to the next level, but I have a feeling I won't, for all the reasons I have listed above. I feel I'm too "green," but this was to be expected, since this was my very first interview ever.

Feelings About Conference Going in General
In my previous post about this topic, I expressed my enthusiasm about conferences, as well as my negative feelings about it. This is the third time I go to the MLA (01, 04, 06), and the seventh conference presentation since 2001, so I feel much more experienced in that regard.
I have come a long way from that first MLA and first conference presentation (at ChLA) back in 2001. I feel that I belong to the academic community and I'm not just dabbling in this. The knowledge that I'm about to finish the Ph.D. and all the dissertation research behind me helps a lot.

I have also realized that I have become less enthusiastic, and much more skeptical, and even cynical sometimes. I wasn't taking notes in most of the most "out there" sections, but I was still very excited about some new things I went to see (I wish I had time to talk about these at a later time, but I doubt that I will). It was a great experience overall.

Meetings
While walking through the book exhibit I met a former student, from a discussion section I led as a T.A. six years ago! I was pleasantly surprised that she remembered me at all and even the one lecture that I presented on that class. It was really nice to talk to her and about our university (oops, I almost named it!) and what she and I have been doing in the past six years.

I already mentioned that it was great to meet Laura. I did get up early yesterday to go to the blogging panel, and it was extremely interesting. It's always nice to put a face to go with the writing that we read online, even though, as "Dr. B"explained, Bitch Ph.D. is a persona, and not her, the person that was talking to us. The other bloggers in the panel were Michael Bérube (sans beard), John Holbo, and Scott Kaufman.

Later, I met a colleague from my Ph.D. program who came to do two presentations (the second of which I saw and was excellent) , and I had lunch with her, another Chinese scholar (my friend is from China) and my sister-in-law. It was great to see her again and see photos of her 16 month old daughter whom I haven't met. She got to see my sons briefly as well, as my husband was driving through downtown with my youngest brother-in-law (who arrived yesterday morning from Brazil) and stopped at the conference hotel so she could see them.

Well, it was a great conference, but I'm glad it's over and now I get to be a hostess to my three brothers-in-law and their wives, as well as my two cute nephews. My father- and mother-in-law will be driving from Massachusetts this evening and hopefully they'll be here before midnight.

Another post about the year in review is coming soon, OK? So hang on!