I’ve just looked at my calendar and had a small heart attack. My blog, and your blogs, and Twitter, have become my favorite procrastination tools. But now I need to get something done.
The good news is that much of what I need to do, I can share with you all. In the fall, I’m teaching ethical theory, ethics and fiction, and a grad level feminist theory, and I’m also working on a couple of writing projects that have relevance to romance.
I thought about changing the name of this blog, or starting a new blog, but instead I’ll just expand the “About” widget or make this a sticky post to warn anyone looking for fun to escape while they still can. I’m not going to worry about how long or tedious these posts are. Sorry. But just think, my students pay to suffer through this stuff!!
Here are the likely topics, not in order:
- Sadism in ethics and erotic fiction
- Professionalism and practice in reviewing
- The difference between judgment and taste
- Objectivity in aesthetic values
- Objectivity in ethics
- Ethical criticism of literature (probably more than one post)
- The paradox of fiction
- The ethics of reading
- Free will — what it is and why it matters to ethics
- Biomedical themes in the Sookie Stackhouse series
- The ethical status of pseudonyms in fiction
- Gendering the morality of fiction
- What is an emotion?
- Ethics in memoir writing
Posts on these topics will take a lot longer to write, so instead of my average of 4 posts a week, I may well be down to 1 or 2
I will still do other posts when I can. Tumperkin and I plan to do a joint review of Meredith Duran’s latest when she gets back from holiday.
Finally, anyone who sticks it out until the end gets a blog banner that reads “I Survived the Amazing Intellectual Journey of Summer 2009!” (kidding!)
.
Related posts:
- My Ethics and Fiction Class (and how romance reading has changed it) Ok, kids. Which one of these things is not like the other? REQUIRED TEXTS: Stephen K. George, Editor, Ethics, Literature,...
- Do You Blog For Yourself or Your Readers? Lately I’ve been hesitating about posting on certain topics that are already under discussion on other blogs. I’ve been...
- Is My Blog One of Best Romance Blogs in Romanceland? Alas, despite Racy Romance Reviews being shortlisted for Best Romance Blog in the Book Bloggers Appreciation Week (BBAW) contest, no....
- I’m talking about emotions and romance over at RtB today… Come visit! ...
- HaMPO: Help A Moral Philosopher Out: Live Blogging An Academic Conference, Ethics of Welcome to my new feature, HaMPO, in which someone who has a PhD and 10 years professional experience in her...
- The Monday Morning Stepback I had so much fun writing my “this n that” post last week, that I’ve decided to make it a...
#1 by Maili on July 8, 2009 - 8:43 am
Almost all interests me, especially the professionalism and practice of reviewing. I would like to know what your definition of professionalism is first, though. Quite a few people believe that getting paid is the deciding factor, but I don’t necessarily agree with that. The paradox of fiction is another that interests me. Am really looking forward to reading your posts.
#2 by DonLinn on July 8, 2009 - 8:50 am
Cant wait to see these. Like Maili, the reviewing question is of great interest, but I will most look forward to the Ethical Criticism of Literature posts.
#3 by Victoria Janssen on July 8, 2009 - 8:53 am
Ooh, exciting!
Looking forward to your posts, whenever you update.
#4 by Laura Vivanco on July 8, 2009 - 9:36 am
You can add me to the growing list of eager RRR readers waiting to embark on the Intellectual Journey.
#5 by Sherry Thomas on July 8, 2009 - 9:50 am
Sounds fascinating.
I would love to sit in on your course.
#6 by Janice on July 8, 2009 - 10:30 am
I’ll be happy to stick around and keep reading with the changing focus and schedule. Having just taken on yet ANOTHER writing project myself for this summer, I understand the nose to the grindstone feeling.
#7 by Kate on July 8, 2009 - 11:23 am
Um, don’t tease me about the banner. I’m in it to win it. (Also looking forward to posts on Objectivity in aesthetic values, crazy cat that I am.)
#8 by Phyl on July 8, 2009 - 12:08 pm
Count me in as another one looking forward to the upcoming schedule. It honestly does sound fascinating.
#9 by Carolyn Crane on July 8, 2009 - 12:19 pm
Go Jessica! These topics are every bit as exciting as an alpha male with missing shirt buttons.
#10 by ReacherFan on July 8, 2009 - 12:32 pm
When asked in philosophy and religion class if there is life after death, I was the only one in the class that responded, “I don’t know, I never died.”
You may consider yourself warned.
#11 by Tumperkin on July 8, 2009 - 2:28 pm
This all sounds fascinating. Kudos to you for even considering writing a post entitled “What is an emotion?”. I’m also keenly interested in ‘the ethics of reading’. Reading isn’t an activity I’ve ever considered as being one requiring any consideration of ethics.
Oh, and needless to say, the ones about objectivity really get my teakettle whistling.
#12 by Karen on July 8, 2009 - 2:36 pm
Oh, I am so ready to read the upcoming posts. None of my friends, dear as they are, share my interest in things literary and critical. My brain is smiling.
#13 by Ana on July 8, 2009 - 2:38 pm
What everybody said and also: I want a banner.
#14 by jillsorenson on July 8, 2009 - 2:45 pm
Sounds good. I miss college. : )
#15 by Fantasy Dreamer on July 8, 2009 - 9:37 pm
The topics are all interesting. I’ll be here to read them, very curious about them.
#16 by corina on July 8, 2009 - 10:47 pm
I don’t mind about the change. Kind of excited, actually. This will be like college, but without the exams
#17 by Daisy on July 8, 2009 - 11:25 pm
So do we get college credit for participation?
Sounds like a lovely change of pace for the everyday. Can’t wait to read the posts and responses.
#18 by Jessica on July 9, 2009 - 6:08 am
Thanks for the support! I do hope to get back to more fun stuff eventually.
And I forgot to mention, that I will attempt to make each post relevant in some way to the romance genre.
Oh, and Corina, there totally WILL be exams. Unannounced! So watch your back!
#19 by heidenkind on July 9, 2009 - 7:11 pm
Aw, I was looking forward to getting a banner.
Yay, free classes!
#20 by corina on July 9, 2009 - 11:15 pm
@ Jessica:
Oh, nooo!
Seriously, I can’t wait for the posts.
#21 by Likari on July 31, 2009 - 8:30 pm
ooh, looking forward to all — esp the free will post.