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!)
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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.
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.
Ooh, exciting!
Looking forward to your posts, whenever you update.
You can add me to the growing list of eager RRR readers waiting to embark on the Intellectual Journey.
Sounds fascinating.
I would love to sit in on your course.
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.
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.)
Count me in as another one looking forward to the upcoming schedule. It honestly does sound fascinating.
Go Jessica! These topics are every bit as exciting as an alpha male with missing shirt buttons.
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.
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.
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.
What everybody said and also: I want a banner.
Sounds good. I miss college. : )
The topics are all interesting. I’ll be here to read them, very curious about them.
I don’t mind about the change. Kind of excited, actually. This will be like college, but without the exams
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.
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!
Aw, I was looking forward to getting a banner.
Yay, free classes!
@ Jessica:
Oh, nooo!
Seriously, I can’t wait for the posts.
ooh, looking forward to all — esp the free will post.