Saturday November 12, 2005

And Those Who Can’t Teach Become Freelance Magazine Hacks

Confirming my decision to abandon my graduate studies in philosophy (lo, those many years ago), M. Garrett Bauman, writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education, describes some of the uncomfortable on-campus interviews he has witnessed. His favorite, and mine:

My favorite self-destructive candidate was a young philosophy graduate who delivered his opening-day introduction to the course. Several rivals had handed out syllabi and lectured on course rules. Yawn. But he began, “I am … ” — then clenched his face and grimaced while uttering his name. “And this is … ” —he sighed as if about to reveal the Ark of the Covenant— “Philosophy 101.”

But for the grace of god.

Posted by jim at 05:02 PM ||