Week 4: In the Weeds....

I have been trying to define the physical sensation I have every time I sit down to work on this material. My heart races, my mind flits all about, and the anxiety becomes stifling. It is reminiscent of my days working in the restaurant business. When you had ten tables and more were coming in and the kitchen was behind and people wanted water and the bartender took a smoke break and you couldn't remember the specials and the chef was yelling and.......we called that being "in the weeds." I don't know why. It is part of the world of restaurant lore. I find it a fitting phrase for my thesis work.

I keep trying to remind myself I only have to have a rough draft. It helps for a second. However, I now understand that it is more about pulling on so many sources from so many directions to create a simple timeline. There is so much information coming from so many directions. I think this is just a necessary part of the process.

I worked on two articles for Dr. Nelson this week that helped me see some clarity. Both articles set down parts of the Simonson timeline. There were many generalizations and complete inaccuracies. It helped me see how much I do know and see a pathway to putting it down. I will forge onward and try to get to all of my tables.....

Week3: Rough Drafts are Underrated

I have a VERY rough draft for both chapters 1 and 2. That is a small miracle given the events of my past week. Checking in here just to make the record but heading back to my eagerly awaiting works in progress.

Week 2: Aaaaahhhhh!!

Ok, this week has been a crazy whirlwind as I have shifted from having a full year to complete my thesis to instead having a couple of months. Although overwhelming, I have been at this research for a while. I have spent months meandering through literature and interviews. I have spent hours in conversation with my subject and now is the time to start bringing it all together.

I love the challenge of research and the task of synthesizing the literature. I understand that work and have no trouble getting myself to do that part. I did do a tremendous amount of work this week. I did a rough annotated bibliography. I completed a chapter outline and schedule. I also modified my proposal draft.

I struggle with the free writing component and this week was no different. My head is exploding with material, ideas, and themes. I continue to avoid writing from my own ideas. I realized this week I have to make a practice of it and not just expect myself to sit down and write the perfect chapter. I understand this intellectually. I must leave more time simply to write. Uuuugh.

Chapter 1 The Legacy of Yes Begins.
For some NYC is a destination, for others it is a fate.

Sadly, that is how far I got. To be continued.

Week 1: Entangled in Biography

As I began to create my first post for the thesis class I was asked to create a title for my page. While ENTANGLED felt like the appropriate word, it didn't quite capture the sentiment that Dr. Zamora suggested we find in our topic.

I have spent a year now gathering material and interviews, photos, videos and mementos to prepare for my journey in crafting a biography of my mentor and friend. I am tangled up in the sheer quantity of information I have collected and yet can't seem to find the first piece. So I chose a title that was less accurate in feeling and more apt of intention: WRITING A LIFE.

Most recently I have been exploring performance study theory, biographical theory and feminist biography in particular. The topics have included an in-depth discussion of which voices are represented in a field and who decides who those voices are. Who defines history? And how do they use their voice to shape the interpretation of history in the future....

Originally I intended to have my thesis be something different from the biography I intend to complete. But I think that was naive. I have no idea how to proceed in writing a biography and certainly need the space to work through what I don't know.

With the help of Dr. Nelson, I have created two independent study courses that propel different aspects of this project forward. I have some clear ideas about how those pieces dovetail with the thesis part. A self-published book is my goal. However, I am also intrigued by the idea of an online component.

I have dreaded this first week of classes all summer as I have been overwhelmed with the idea of synthesizing the material I have gathered. This week I made small steps in diving into the writing. Small steps. Much of what I wrote was clunky, simplistic, and lacking in grace. But what matters is that I wrote, finally. It is a starting place, and now I feel freed up to move forward. I am grateful that the thesis class is two semesters!