Thesisish

[icepixie]

I'm twenty pages from being done with my reread of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. I think I'm going to be writing my master's thesis on that (since grad school is pretty much a given at this point). I'm really interested in combining my dual loves of literature and history by studying the ways authors use history in their fiction--for what purposes they manipulate it, if they do, and what they may be trying to say about their own period by setting something in or referring to historical periods. I also want to work on sci-fi and fantasy (no, seriously, in my current state of late-night megalomania I'm envisioning writing many books of criticism, or at least essays, on Gaiman, Martin, Bradbury, Clarke...), and JS&MN is a perfect blend of the two.

I may babble about the book, and other works of historical fiction, in the months to come. Be prepared.

(Okay, so maybe I was meant to be an academic. I'm excited at the prospect of researching and writing a paper. Perhaps last year's "Papers, augh!" was the burnout talking?)

Comments

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

I do, I do! Unfortunately, my bank account has other ideas....

[icepixie]

Doctoral programs, at least the ones I've looked at, all seem to provide excellent funding. Complete tuition reimbursement, stipends, teaching assistantships, fellowships...and this is for pretty much everyone working full-time toward the degree.

MA programs...not so much with the funding, alas. If they had it on the same scale, I'd be all over them. Now, I'm debating between an MA and the "well, I'll try to get into a doctoral program, and if I hate it, I can always drop out after I get the MA..." route.

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

Ah, but the odds of me actually getting *in* to a doctoral program.... so teeny....

[icepixie]

Your odds are likely better than mine, Miss Distinction on Comps.

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

Miss Goat In Comps, you mean? Yes, research-y places will take me seriously, I'm sure...

[icepixie]

You could always get an MFA, and be even more unemployable!

(Althoguh seriously, is there something you're thinking about studying? I seem to remember you contemplating further Old Englishness during senior year...)