Revision

I edited my chapter overview substantially. For one thing, Tender Buttons was published in 1914, which is earlier than the time period I plan to write about. For another, I hated what I had and didn't think it made any sense. Here is my new Stein paragraph:
"For the Stein chapter, I discuss the Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas as an example of the Greek word ekphrasis, the representation of one art form by another, in this case the representation of a portrait photograph in a textual form. More accessible than her previous work, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas finally brought Stein the popular success she sought. Yet, Stein’s representation explores how the photograph obscures more than reveals meaning and I argue that the novel likewise obscures more than it reveals. It is written by Stein in the voice of Toklas and, despite its title, is ultimately a biography of Stein, not Toklas. The novel manifests an inherent problem of the photograph, which is locating the authorial voice when both the subject and artist believe they are communicating; the subject offers her self-image, however, the artist believes this image is reliant upon her own interpretation."
Pending confirmation, I am relatively happy with how this came out. I might even stick with it when I write the actual chapter. Some of the language needs to be cleaned up but the idea of ekphrasis, of the novel reflecting a photo portrait, I think is compelling.
Now onto Woolf. I had originally thought I would write about The Waves . Now I am not so certain. It is not considered autobiographical and therefore I am not sure it fits with the works of the other writers I am covering. I plan on doing some research tomorrow and will post another update when, I hope, I have a clearer notion of where this chapter will go.

Stein and Woolf

Today I worked on my proposal for one of the dissertation fellowships I am applying for. The irony of it all is that these are called dissertation completion fellowships, yet they are most often awarded to people who are mostly finished with their dissertation and therefore not in need of fellowships. Right now I am working on the paragraphs that sketch out the four chapters. I need to at least pretend I know what I am going to write about. This is hard as I really only have some idea what these chapters will focus on. In fact, it wasn't even until a few weeks I even decided to write about Woolf.
Here is what I have so far:
"The chapters on Stein and Woolf focus on how these two writers explicitly engage photographic form in their work. Stein undertook the photographic form in both her more straightforward The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas and the experimental Tender Buttons; Woolf, however, repudiated the photographic form, particularly in The Waves where she focuses entirely on interiority completely rejecting any kind of physical description."
Yes, I have no idea.
There is something there, I just have to keep digging. Anyone have a shovel I can borrow?

Delinqent post

It's been a week since my last post, in part because I have not worked very much. I thought I would continue to get work done but after handing in the pages I went on a work stoppage. I am firm believer that "stewing" is an essential part of the process and I think I needed to do just that.
Now that I have stewed, and received comments from my committee, I expect to get back to work. The best advice I received was to focus more on the primary texts and stop worrying about what other critics have to say. I tend to use other critics as a crutch and I will attempt to follow the advice as best I can. Right now, I am going to massage my 20 pages into a more workable flow, in attempt to make them ready for some fellowships I plan to apply for.
I am also very excited that one particular committee member, who wrote about Jean Rhys in her own dissertation, complimented my unique point of view. Coming up with a new idea is the whole point of the dissertation and I am so pleased that so far I have managed to do that. Yipee!

The Frame

One concept I am thinking through right now is the idea of frames. A photograph can be framed, obviously, but I am also thinking of a book as framed by its cover (a cover that often features an image). In addition, I want to write about frames more metaphorically, as in, how is in image contextualized? A photograph in a fashion magazine has a different "frame" than a photograph in a newspaper, for example. When a photograph is taken, the sitter might have an idea of how that image should be framed, how it will be contexualized. With photography, the image gets reproduced without the sitters' permission. A photograph of Madonna, for example, originally shot to promote her tour is read differently when it is shown in the context of her impending divorce.
Here is quote from a great book, Fashioning Sapphism, that explains further this idea:
"As the image filters into public culture, its message, formerly at the service of the photographic subject, is resituated in a different context, one that effectively steals away the earlier frame. The portrait thus becomes a 'frame' entrapping the would-be framers" (167).
Do you have a photograph of yourself that was used in a way that you didn't intend? Or read differently than you imagined? Or published without your consent?

Inspirbloggeration

As a result of my call for comments, I received some great ideas for upcoming blog posts. Here's what's coming soon:
1. Random factoids. Thanks to Scott for this one. Stay tuned for interesting bits of trivia probably related to my project but not necessarily.
2. Things in threes. This was inspired by Amy introducing me to http://www.threebeautifulthings.blogspot.com/
This blog lists three beautiful things the writer experiences everyday. This a little too cheesy for cynical me but I do like the idea of random information which becomes related by being put on a list.
3. Requests for participation. Dave Moss suggests I ask my readers to put in their $.02 once in a while. So, look forward to some group work*.
4. Photographs. Of what, I am not sure. My messy desk? My house in its state of construction? My bookshelves organized by period, genre AND it's usefulness? (You are impressed, no?). Blogs seem friendlier when there are pretty pictures so I am going to try to add some.

Hey, I am still open to more ideas so if you still feel like commenting on content, please post to the blog or send me an email!

*For teachers like myself, "group work" is often, although not always, synonymous with any of the following:
1. I hate my students and will show them just how my much by refusing to actually teach today.
2. I had way too many glasses of wine last night and there is no way I am capable of speaking in full sentences.
3. I'm tired of beating them over the head. Let them teach themselves a thing or to.

Quote of the Day

"A Photography is not an opinion. Or is it?"
Susan Sontag

Atonement Post

I have not done a very good job of atoning today. Last year I realized that I start sinning so quickly after atoning, it seems a mockery to even try. Instead, today I am grading papers. When it comes to using the English language, Stony Brook students engage in a multitude of sins.
Since we are speaking of sins today, however, I thought I should add a few words on the sin of narcissism, which I discuss in my dissertation. The word narcissism began to refer to a psychological condition around 1898 but Freud was not one who first used the word in this way. Don't worry, we still have Freud to thank for naming a number of other perversions. According to Freud, however, Narcissism is not a perversion but the "libidinal complement to the egoism of the instinct of self-preservation." Traditionally, narcissism is a means to trivialize women. John Berger points out that in Renaissance painting “You painted a naked woman because you enjoyed looking at her, you put a mirror in her hand and you called the painting Vanity, thus morally condemning the woman whose nakedness you had depicted for your own pleasure” (51).
This idea of narcissism is one of the reasons why I focus on women writers in my project. Much of Joyce's personal history is included in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Joyce is considered a (the?) hero of modernism. Early (male) critics, however, claimed that Rhys was being unimaginative and banal when she used her own life in her novels.

20 Pages!

I dropped off 20 pages to a member of my committee today. Hardly a treatise, YET! She was duly impressed at my work. She even acknowledged how hard it is to feel productive in the early stages. Since I completely idolize her and think she never, ever, ever, possibly, has writer's block, I enjoyed learning that she had struggles, too! But not anymore, of course, she's way to perfect for that.

Quote of the Day

“Publicity in women is detestable. Anonymity runs in their blood. The desire to be veiled still possesses them. They are not even now as concerned about the health of their fame as men are, and, speaking generally, will pass a tombstone or a signpost without feeling an irresistible desire to cut their names on it.”
Virginia Woolf

Any Comments on Content?

I have been dutifully posting to the Blog almost everyday because Dave warned me that if I don't people will lose interest and stop reading it.
But I think you've lost interest anyway and have probably stopped reading it.
This is fine. Don't feel bad. I realize that much of it is just about me getting some stuff off my b cups.
If, however, you have some suggestions for content, please let me know. I sometimes wonder whether it is better to write posts about my emotional state (always news, even to me) , my intellectual interest of the day, or to provide actual text from what I am writing (I am hesitant to do this last thing because I am paranoid of dissertation thieves but I can do snippets).
Or maybe you just want a weather update?
It's a little chillier today and I think officially fall.

The Pesky Proposal

Today I worked on writing a proposal for a fellowship application due in November. The two main fellowships I am applying for are called dissertation completion fellowships. They pay you so you can focus on finishing your dissertation rather than, say, "wasting" time doing the kind of work people usually pay you for. As you might imagine, these fellowships are very competitive. Of course, the lottery people know what they are talking about when they say that you can't win if you don't play. On the other hand, I don't want to spend too much time working on my applications as it inevitably will take away from the primary writing I need to be doing. So, it's a balance. Good thing I am a libra and therefore extremely adept at balance.
One of the problems I encounter with the proposal writing is the process of writing what you are going to write about without actually having done any of the writing yet. It's a dissertation proposal Catch-22 (apologize to Joseph Heller for the overuse of that particular cliche). I found the process today somewhat helpful, however. As I write and rewrite various drafts of proposals, I understand more what my project is about. I am becoming increasingly focused on the central question I am trying to answer and why this question is so important. It also increases my confidence. I have returned to different forms of the proposal often in the past few months and each time I find I write something very similar. This is a good thing. This to me means that I am committed to my project and that deep inside the little gray folds of my brain it all makes sense, even if sometimes I have trouble spitting it out in actual language that people can understand.
As an aside, I would like to thank iTunes radio for sponsoring the music portion of the day. Great background noise with little distraction. Except for that song that had something to do with stealing someone's baby? Still curious about that one. It's the "Dub Beautiful Collective" in the Ambient section.

Vanity Fair Portrait Exhibit

There is what looks to be an amazing exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) that I wish I could see! I have the book that goes along with the exhibit and it is so interesting. Check out the fabulous image above that also graces the cover of the book. The exhibit includes the Virginia Woolf portrait (below), portraits of Joyce and D.H. Lawrence and probably many other writers. I am having trouble tracking down the Vanity Fair archive. I thought it was at Ann Arbor but they only have the magazine from the 19th century. Most likely Grayden Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair, has a secret stash in his bedroom.
Anybody have his home phone number?