Fellowship schmellowship
So I've been spending tremendous amounts of time over the past week writing a fellowship application. It's a process that is both very interesting and boring/depressing. Interesting in the sense that I get to think of the diss in the context of a specific field (so as to pitch the application to those who will be examining it). This also means that I get to look up books which might be relevant and should be included in my bibliography, a task which is usually fun. The boring/depressing part is trying to figure out what the committee wants in the proposal, as though there were some magic phrase that would make them award their big prestigious fellowship to me (as opposed to the 500 others who will apply, of which about 30 will get fellowships). It basically means intensely crafting 2000 words, or about 9 pages, wherein I have to fit: a summary of the diss, how it relates to their fellowship, my methodology and sources, and why it's imperative that they give the fellowship to me. It's a lot to cram in, and so every word counts.
And that's probably the most annoying bit. That I don't actually like trying to say lots in a small space. It's like wearing shoes that are too tight- you can do some stuff in them, but not the fun stuff (I want to wiggle my theoretical toes :) which takes space). Fortunately I'm done with the first draft, and will send it off to my advisor for comments. Unfortunately, I have another application to do, although since my diss fits in better with the other, hopefully it won't be as tortuous. If these things weren't very large amounts of money, I wonder if I'd bother- probably not, since I seem to generally get more done when I have job. But, it looks awfully good on the CV.
On the more positive note, as I was looking for books I found two which will be lots of fun to read. One is on the early Salvation Army, and the other is on the construction of social welfare space in the Progressive Era. The latter will, I hope, explain lots of things that I'll need for the second chapter, on dormitories and how physical spaces were designed and used. She deals with the YW, but also several other settlement-type houses, which I've seen in some of the personnel files.
On a non-dissertation note, I'm also in the process of getting a kerosene heater from the 1930's up and running- or at least finding out more about it. It's a "Perfection" model 1630. It's a very pretty dark robin's egg blue, and looks a bit like a small pot-belly stove. I've found someone on e-bay who sells both replacement wicks and manuals (which he wrote) for them, so hopefully with a good cleaning and a new wick (and some kerosene, which I'll need to find), it will work well. I was working at my computer when a man in the neighborhood who has a Ford Model T type car went driving by. It was a good day for it- dry, warm, and sunny, but a bit surreal to look up from my computer and see someone putting along in a Model T. I hope the weather holds a bit, as I'm planning to use the heater out on my patio.
Since I haven't done much in the way of archival stuff this week, we're back to Marjorie Hillis for this weeks quote from my notes:
(under the chapter heading "Etiquette for a Lone Female"):
"Question: How late is it proper for a woman living alone to entertain a man friend, and how can she get him to go at the correct time?
Answer: The correct time depends on the lady and also on the time of arrival. Ten-forty-five P.M. might seem scandalous to your Aunt Hattie, and three-thirty A.M. be disconcertingly early to the girl on the floor below. In either case, the time the man arrived should be a factor. No call should turn into an endurance test, and four or five hours of being a perfect listener will make any hostess feel like a runner-up in a nine-days' bicycle race.
As far as propriety goes, a man might come in for dinner and stay long enough to take the milk in, and no offense to anyone. (This, we admit, is improbable.) Or it might be time for him to go after the first highball.
How to get rid of him depends entirely on your type. However, before making the attack, it's a good idea to decide whether you want him to go for good or merely for the occasion. In the first instance, it's a simple matter. Just tell him so in good plain English. (This will sometimes work in the second instance; but you must be sure of your man.)
If you want him to come again soon, a little tact is usually wiser. You might begin with, 'Let me get you a glass of water (nothing stronger)- it's hours since you had that highball.' This will get you both up and give you the advantage. you can keep on standing, which will eventually wear down any man (if you don't drop first).
There is little danger that you will have to call the elevator man or open the window and scream. It may happen, but don't get your hopes up. You have to be pretty fascinating." (p. 48-49)
And that's probably the most annoying bit. That I don't actually like trying to say lots in a small space. It's like wearing shoes that are too tight- you can do some stuff in them, but not the fun stuff (I want to wiggle my theoretical toes :) which takes space). Fortunately I'm done with the first draft, and will send it off to my advisor for comments. Unfortunately, I have another application to do, although since my diss fits in better with the other, hopefully it won't be as tortuous. If these things weren't very large amounts of money, I wonder if I'd bother- probably not, since I seem to generally get more done when I have job. But, it looks awfully good on the CV.
On the more positive note, as I was looking for books I found two which will be lots of fun to read. One is on the early Salvation Army, and the other is on the construction of social welfare space in the Progressive Era. The latter will, I hope, explain lots of things that I'll need for the second chapter, on dormitories and how physical spaces were designed and used. She deals with the YW, but also several other settlement-type houses, which I've seen in some of the personnel files.
On a non-dissertation note, I'm also in the process of getting a kerosene heater from the 1930's up and running- or at least finding out more about it. It's a "Perfection" model 1630. It's a very pretty dark robin's egg blue, and looks a bit like a small pot-belly stove. I've found someone on e-bay who sells both replacement wicks and manuals (which he wrote) for them, so hopefully with a good cleaning and a new wick (and some kerosene, which I'll need to find), it will work well. I was working at my computer when a man in the neighborhood who has a Ford Model T type car went driving by. It was a good day for it- dry, warm, and sunny, but a bit surreal to look up from my computer and see someone putting along in a Model T. I hope the weather holds a bit, as I'm planning to use the heater out on my patio.
Since I haven't done much in the way of archival stuff this week, we're back to Marjorie Hillis for this weeks quote from my notes:
(under the chapter heading "Etiquette for a Lone Female"):
"Question: How late is it proper for a woman living alone to entertain a man friend, and how can she get him to go at the correct time?
Answer: The correct time depends on the lady and also on the time of arrival. Ten-forty-five P.M. might seem scandalous to your Aunt Hattie, and three-thirty A.M. be disconcertingly early to the girl on the floor below. In either case, the time the man arrived should be a factor. No call should turn into an endurance test, and four or five hours of being a perfect listener will make any hostess feel like a runner-up in a nine-days' bicycle race.
As far as propriety goes, a man might come in for dinner and stay long enough to take the milk in, and no offense to anyone. (This, we admit, is improbable.) Or it might be time for him to go after the first highball.
How to get rid of him depends entirely on your type. However, before making the attack, it's a good idea to decide whether you want him to go for good or merely for the occasion. In the first instance, it's a simple matter. Just tell him so in good plain English. (This will sometimes work in the second instance; but you must be sure of your man.)
If you want him to come again soon, a little tact is usually wiser. You might begin with, 'Let me get you a glass of water (nothing stronger)- it's hours since you had that highball.' This will get you both up and give you the advantage. you can keep on standing, which will eventually wear down any man (if you don't drop first).
There is little danger that you will have to call the elevator man or open the window and scream. It may happen, but don't get your hopes up. You have to be pretty fascinating." (p. 48-49)
posted by Karen at
3:47 PM
1 Comments:
"...it might be time for him to go after the first highball."
AWESOME. But, I really think it's NEVER time to go after only the FIRST highball -- I mean, come on, what kind of hostess are you?
I have to make Marcos read that quote....
Lucky for him I didn't kick him out after the first highball!! ;)
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Anonymous, at 5:39 PM
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