Women, the academy, and work

A snippet from an email to an infrequent correspondent.

Drinks on the porch . . . that sounds so wonderful and relaxing. I’m having this insane summer—a conference paper, a two-month faculty development workshop, another paper I’m working on . . . I haven’t written a single poem this summer, and I’m so tired it doesn't even bother me much right now. We just got back from vacation, where we had no phone or internet, so that was a kind of enforced relaxation, but it’s hard to bring that mentality home.

I’m disheartened this summer by L’s resigning her position as the director of the X program at Y University—and another woman friend of mine resigned a good dean position dean because of conflicts with her boss. How on earth are women supposed to ever get caught up in the academy when it’s one battle after another? And these talented bright women decide they’d rather quit than fight constantly? I certainly understand the need to preserve one’s sanity, but if we don’t fight who will??? So how to balance the whole work/life thing . . .