Monday, January 22, 2007

So What Do You Do (or at least blog about) For Fun?

One of the more revealing questions my colleagues and I who were interviewing candidates for various positions in our department at the Modern Language Association annual convention over the years would ask supplies the title (minus the parentheses) of this post. It would always be the last question we'd ask (the first several would always be about teaching, to signal what kind of department they were interviewing with). The reaction of the candidates to it would tell us volumes--if they were interested in the job and taking us seriously and relaxed enough with us at the end of a long not-even-hour to level with us and say something relatively genuine, or at least be guarded in an interesting enough way, or even to take the opportunity to signal something to us none of our other questions gave them a chance to send that particular signal from, we'd end the interview on a relatively high note and gain some insight into how well they'd be able to deal with the pressures of a 4-3 teaching load (but no more than 100 students a semester and three preps) and relatively serious service responsibilities (at first, within the department; later, university-wide, as well) that go with life at a satellite school in a big state public university system.

I mention this to distinguish what I'm about to ask my new co-bloggers here at Mostly Harmless from the above MLA interview situation and question. First, they're already in. Second, this whole thing is "for fun." Third, it carries no responsibilities I can think of (unless you count signing your soul over to Astaroth and everything else to the WAAGNFNP--no biggie). Fourth, the immediate audience for your answer is the array of prospective fellow co-bloggers who are still pondering my invite (along with other WAAGNFNP "alumni" that Oaktown Girl and I have overlooked who want in)--literally nobody else would have the slightest reason to visit this blog longer than it takes to ascertain that the search engine of their choice has led them horribly astray.

OK, time to pop the question: new Mostly Harmless authors, [insert title here]

I took a shot at answering the question when I started this blog, so I hereby proclaim our first Mostly Harmless tradition and request that your first post have some discernible (however slight) relation to the question. Or not, if it's no fun. Deadline: before the GNF.

[Update: This golden oldie from BB is for you, Oaktown Girl!]

5 comments:

Oaktown Girl said...

I'm awake just enough to see I've been called out, but I'm so very...very...tired.

Light at the end of this year-long tunnel: tonight is last night on the graveyard shift and last night of this job. Praise Gojira.

Proposed first blog post title:
"Daylight". Haven't seen much of that in a long, long time.

Bill Benzon said...

Hmmmm . . . not sure what's called for here. But, FWI, my father was a golfer, I'm a trumpeter, and I also take photographs (like my grandfather). Back on 6 December I took photographs of the Paterno Family Professor in front of 3Tops.

Bill Benzon said...

Oh, and I also watch anime and read manga, more the former than the latter these days. This is both for fun and for professional purposes.

JP Stormcrow said...

What do I do for fun?
Mostly Boring things, like commenting on blog posts.

JP Stormcrow said...

Oh, and I am still looking for my damn shoes from the party the other night.

(Version with intro that sets up motivation and context.)