Grading and writing

I just finished about 55 first-year composition essays—now it’s on to my American lit class. If I hurry this morning, I might be able to finish their group projects (about which much complaining in the blogs). I still have to finish preparing my realism lecture, though—nothing like a little Mark Twain. I’d forgotten how long “The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg” was, although that’s because it reads so quickly, I think. It didn’t seem long last night when I read it again. But I bet there was more general wailing and gnashing of teeth and whatnot among some students.

Then this afternoon it’s my conference paper again. I finally have about a half a handle on what I’m writing about. This paper has been a bear—I usually have a much better idea from the beginning of what I’m doing in my papers, so this very vague idea I had is really giving me ulcers. I choose half the poems from the various anthologies I’m talking about, so today I have to choose the other half; it should go faster, now that I have a little more direction. I talked to Lisa yesterday, and she hasn’t finished hers for this weekend either, so I feel a little better. Wonder how many of us there are across the country right now fiendishly trying to write our papers the week before they’re due? And at the same time, fussing at our students for procrastinating on their work? :)

I wish Lisa and I were going to the same conference—she’ll be in Atlanta, I think, while I’m in Virginia. I still haven’t finished her birthday present either (and the birthday was in the summer). This is the problem with homemade gifts… Well, I should quit procrastinating on the papers and get to them. See you American lit people in a while.