PROFESSORS SELDOM MAKE PASSES AT ADJUNCTS WHO WEAR GLASSES . . . OR WRITE BLOGS

When one works in a university English Department, one needs the emotional hide of an elephant. Typically half of the faculty regard English literature as a religion. Half regard themselves somewhere in the continuum between brilliant and geniuses. Half regard themselves as artists. Those who believe themselves artists think the rest of their associates suffer from hackness.

Politics and art always come close together in Universities, which means faculties can always find plenty to argue over and about in the halls and in the faculty meetings. Grudges commonly last forever if not longer.

I enjoy working at UVU in the English Department. I find Its political atmosphere today not any more or any less Byzantine than the climate in BYU's English Department in 1976 - 1983. The fact remains: as an adjunct in a big department, I do not get many long encounters with faculty. That is a shame in some ways -- and a blessing in others. It is a blessing for someone of as many independent opinions as I.

Of course folks, plenty of my associates think I am a hack. This was true especially in May 2000 to January 2004 when I wrote a weekly column in the Provo Daily Herald. That made me the most widely read member of the English Department. That made me an easy target.

The nice thing about my Right Ascension column and my New Right Ascension blog is that readers may post their comments both in favor and in correction.

MORAL TO THE STORY

The Atonement should have a place in Universities, even in English Departments.