Bitch PhD draws our attention to an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education criticizing job-seeking academics who blog. The bottom-line the title asserts: "Bloggers need not apply." Apparently, hiring committees are mortified (titilated, yet mortified) to read about "the dank, dark depths of the blogger's tormented soul." While I'd contend that academia certainly drives us to those very depths, I also recognize that the institution still wants to control all aspects of our intellectual production while simultaneously denying us any space for a personal life. This seems readily apparent in this article's lambasting of job applicants who (gasp) have hobbies and opinions outside their area of professional expertise.
And this puts a graduate student like myself in somewhat of a precarious position. Like Dr. B, I blog pseudonymously; my name isn't attached to this blog, but it wouldn't take too much detective work to "find me out."
But, you know, I'm just going to shrug off this fear-mongering from The Chronicle; the publication never makes me feel particularly hopeful about getting a job or staying in the academy. Who'd want to work with people like this author, the (ironically anonymous) "Ivan Tribble," in the first place?
And for the record (that scary permanent record of cyberspace), blogging does keep me sane. But thanks for the recommendation that we bloggers get therapy instead, Dr. Tribble. God forbid we engage in conversations that violate the sacred bonds of doctor(ate of philosophy)-patient(ly waiting for a job interview) confidentiality.
Considering the subject matter of my own research interests (guerilla theatre, radical politics), I reckon the information that can be found when you google my real name will probably scare most of the Tribbles of the academy away anyway.
Hmmm, on second thought, maybe I should let hiring committees read my blog. Perhaps they'd be less frightened about my work if they knew I had a crush on Shawn Cassidy when I was a kid.
Perhaps.
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