Helping academics find joy, meaning, and balance
First post in a series about summer writing... Spring is an optimistic time of year. For many academics, the prospect of a summer without teaching and service responsibilities means precious time to conduct fieldwork, catch up on reading, and perhaps most importantly, WRITE. Ambitious goals abound. This is the summer I'll finish my dissertation. I'll… Continue reading Summer writing: Getting real
Let's face it: your average introverted academic would rather encounter the three terrors of the fire swamp than a conference networking event. And who can blame us? The awkwardness of small talk combined with the pressure of meeting the people who will review your publications, assess your grant proposals, and rank your job applications is… Continue reading Conference networking, or, surviving the terrors of the academic fire swamp
Normally at this time of year (spring), I'm getting ready to head to one of the big annual geography conferences. Although I'm taking a break this year, I'm noticing my colleagues' excitement as they share news of their upcoming panels and presentations across social media. At their best, academic conferences let us share research, catch… Continue reading Conference presentations: 6 ways to make an impact
This week's blog was supposed to be about mid-semester productivity. But I had the chance to share some exciting news via Twitter recently: The "Feminist City: A Field Guide" full manuscript has been submitted! I daydreamed the idea on a drive home from Halifax in December 2017. I didn't necessarily plan for it to go… Continue reading How I wrote my book
One of the supposed perks of academic work is the flexibility to set your own schedule. With regular breaks from teaching built into the academic calendar, it should be easy for scholars to take time off, relax, and recharge. Unfortunately, this very flexibility often translates into a lack of boundaries and an inability to truly… Continue reading How to take time off