Last PhD comp written!

Hello all!

I am proud to report that I have succeeded in taking my final PhD comprehensive exam. It was touch and go their for a while, between having a husband up and fly off to France for the week, having a sick 11-month-old, and contracting tuberculosis myself (I exaggerate only slightly). AND accidentally getting addicted to watching Breaking Bad on Netflix, my problematic almost didn't get theorized.

In our department we have to write three exams after the master's comps and it's up to us to choose our timeline, our list of texts, and our problematic. (Most people are able to write them in a year and I'm proud to say I stayed within that timeline even though I had a baby!) Then we are given a question and have 5 hours to write a 10-15 page "paper" using only our memories of the texts. This last exam I wrote on Affect theory and "musical" or "sonorous" poetry of the 20th and 21st centuries. It was particularly difficult because I had to memorize lines of poetry in order to quote them, instead of just relying on summarizing a narrative or character profile as I could do in novels.

However, my semester wasn't over until I graded my students' final papers and submitted their overall grades. I was so proud of them. We had a "beach" of a final project (excuse my French), with multiple drafts and edits. I worked them to the bone to emphasize writing a good thesis, using textual evidence, and actually writing a literature paper, something that even the smartest students haven't mastered. I was very proud to read their final drafts, and with the grades submitted, I am officially on holiday!

Brunch at Coca in Lawrenceville 

Papa's so fun

Which one should we get Babis?

Looleemonstaminh saying "who needs gifts? Just pet me, that's gift enough." 

Here I am at age 1 on December 24, 1981!

Here's Antonia wearing my dress 30 years later!

Christmas kisses at a baby shower last weekend

I'm upholding the Swedish tradition of lighting one candle on each Sunday of Advent

I've been busy with all kinds of projects since I've been on break (mainly involving eating) so another update is on its way. We will be spending Christmas in Tucson, Arizona with family. Soon to come, pictures of Antonia near various cacti!