I've just received my copy of a new book for which I contributed a chapter: Authority of Expression in Early Modern England is a book published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing which, to quote the back cover, "brings together an international group of scholars writing on the relationships between authority and the self in early modern English literature." Since I'm one of this "international group," I'm honored by this description. :) My particular chapter is about sexual, moral and political power in The Revenger's Tragedy, but all of the chapters in this really well constructed book are interesting, and I give major kudos to editors Nely Keinanen (also one of my recommenders for tenure, by the way!) and Maria Salenius (both of whom I met at a conference in Norway a few years ago) and CSP for putting together a first rate product. If you're interested, you can order it here.
New book chapter released.
A milestone.
I'm very happy to announce that the University Personnel Committee at St. John's University met on Wednesday and voted unanimously to approve my application for tenure and promotion--which means that I will be a tenured associate professor as of September 1st. Obviously this is a major milestone in my academic life, and when reaching such a milestone one has a tendency to look back at what led to it. In my case, I've been fortunate to have good colleagues, students and mentors at all levels, and I want to thank all of them--even those who will never read this post--whether I found them in Canton High School, UCONN, Brandeis, Boston University or St. John's. And on a personal level, I am incredibly grateful to both friends and family for their love and support through the years.
Heading back to my car after the vote I found myself thinking about my father, who received his doctorate from St. John's thirty years ago. I can't know for sure, of course, but I would like to think he finds the same satisfaction that I do in patterns and cycles...one which led him, and now me, to this place. There's still much to do in the academic world, and of course I'm early in my journey down the creative road...but this is a good moment to pause and reflect, and I'm glad to have that opportunity.
Best wishes and thanks to all,
Greg (and for the first time--Associate Professor of English)
Just a quick follow-up...
I'm happy to report that Brandeis has backed off of its scheme to close the Rose Art Museum and sell its art, which I talked about here recently. From President Jehuda Reinharz to the Brandeis community:
Dear Members of the Brandeis community:
The past ten days have been extremely difficult for all of us. I have
heard from many of you and listened carefully to your criticisms and
constructive suggestions. I have read every message on the faculty
list serve, and the thoughtful letter sent to me by a group of
faculty last night. I have also heard from students, staff, alumni,
university presidents and complete strangers about my statements
regarding the vote by the Board of Trustees concerning the Rose Art
Museum.
In retrospect, I wish I had handled the initial statements I made in
a far more direct way. Unfortunately, those statements did not
accurately reflect the Board’s decision authorizing the
administration to conduct “an orderly sale or other disposition of
works from the university’s collection.” The statements gave the
misleading impression that we were selling the entire collection
immediately, which is not true. The University may have the option,
subject to applicable legal requirements and procedures, to sell some
artworks if necessary, but I assure you that other options will also
be considered. The Museum will remain open, but in accordance with
the Board’s vote, it will be more fully integrated into the
University’s central educational mission. We will meet with all
affected University constituencies to explore together how this can
best be done.
I regret as well that I did not find a more inclusive and open way to
engage the Brandeis community in the deliberations that led to the
Board’s decision.
I take full responsibility for causing pain and embarrassment in both
of these matters. To quote President Obama, “I screwed up.”
Having learned from this experience, I will do my best, as will the
entire administration, to work together with all of you in a
collaborative manner. We must cooperate as we move forward to
confront our financial crisis. But we also have to take bold steps.
Obviously, we have many tasks ahead of us regarding the curriculum
and the budget.
In meetings with members of the faculty and with students in the past
few days, I have been heartened by the enormous reservoir of good
will, imagination and willingness to work hard to guarantee that
Brandeis will continue to thrive as a first-rate institution of
higher learning.
Sincerely,
Jehuda Reinharz
Translation: whoops. Nothing to see here. Please disperse. I’m glad that President Reinharz apologized for messing up the rollout of this plan, specifically by not including others in the decision, and that he says he will learn from the mistake in the future. We’ll see; I hope so. But what needs to be pointed out here is that this is not the original plan Brandeis rolled out, which absolutely called for the Rose to be closed and the art sold (whether now, next week or next decade is immaterial); this is a frantic walk-back of an ill-considered and badly communicated scheme. I’d like to take credit, but I suspect this had much more to do with the furious reaction from the majority of alumni and donors who made clear how universities who sell priceless collections don’t usually get more, you know, stuff to collect, art or otherwise.
So good for you, Brandeis. Next time, a bit more looking before you leap, please.