Well, I finally met one

[phillygirl]

a history major in grad school who is focusing on womens studies and "queer theory". Oh, and she's an Arab-American.

Oh my gosh. I just couldn't believe it. I tried to be respectful because she's young. But really? What is she thinking? Of course, she currently attends the University of Pennsylvania, although she is transferring to Columbia. Of course her parents are rich. Of course she doesn't have a clue. It really was difficult having a conversation with and not just bursting out laughing. On the upside, she's also disappointed with Obama, although I suspect she and I ahve very different reasons for not being enamored with his performance.

[Michele]

a history major in grad school who is focusing on womens studies and "queer theory". Oh, and she's an Arab-American.

Oh my gosh. I just couldn't believe it. I tried to be respectful because she's young. But really? What is she thinking? Of course, she currently attends the University of Pennsylvania, although she is transferring to Columbia. Of course her parents are rich. Of course she doesn't have a clue. It really was difficult having a conversation with and not just bursting out laughing. On the upside, she's also disappointed with Obama, although I suspect she and I ahve very different reasons for not being enamored with his performance.

That might top the fellow I know who is a prof in Vermont and teaches Environmental Poetry.

[RobJohnson]

That might top the fellow I know who is a prof in Vermont and teaches Environmental Poetry.

What in the world is environmental poetry?

[Tom Servo]

Poetry that begins where the sidewalk ends…?

[Gingersnap]

Poetry that begins where the sidewalk ends…?

LMAO out Where the Wild Things Are!

Seriously, though - I think the days are over when an employer will take you simply because you have some degree. Even in academic environments the competition is so fierce that few candidates are offered anything other than an adjunct contract which is basically just a temp job with no benefits.

That's a lot of money to pay for no guaranteed return.

[Adam]

What in the world is environmental poetry?

It's used to fight back against The Man, who engages in environmental racism.

[Lanie]

a history major in grad school who is focusing on womens studies and "queer theory". Oh, and she's an Arab-American.

Oh my gosh. I just couldn't believe it. I tried to be respectful because she's young. But really? What is she thinking? Of course, she currently attends the University of Pennsylvania, although she is transferring to Columbia. Of course her parents are rich. Of course she doesn't have a clue. It really was difficult having a conversation with and not just bursting out laughing. On the upside, she's also disappointed with Obama, although I suspect she and I ahve very different reasons for not being enamored with his performance.

I'm thinking that maybe some Arab Americans might have a reason for wanting to study women's and homosexual history. There are Arab countries hung up on killing both of them and maybe this is her way of getting as far away from the culture as possible.

Her parents are rich. They'll get her through career opportunties that she doesn't deserve.

[phillygirl]

I'm thinking that maybe some Arab Americans might have a reason for wanting to study women's and homosexual history. There are Arab countries hung up on killing both of them and maybe this is her way of getting as far away from the culture as possible.

Her parents are rich. They'll get her through career opportunties that she doesn't deserve.

She's all out lib. And she's very pro-Middle East. While I do think she's "feminist" (she apparently celebrated the last election with reference to making a necklace out of birth control pills, etc.) she doesn't see the dichotomy of the Arabic culture and her American freedoms.

Just a girl with book smarts and no real world insight. I feel sorry for the young people today who will be taught, someday, by someone like her.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

She's all out lib. And she's very pro-Middle East. While I do think she's "feminist" (she apparently celebrated the last election with reference to making a necklace out of birth control pills, etc.) she doesn't see the dichotomy of the Arabic culture and her American freedoms.

Just a girl with book smarts and no real world insight. I feel sorry for the young people today who will be taught, someday, by someone like her.

Don't waste your pity. Even as an undergrad, I knew people majoring in PoliSci were mostly engaged in mental masturbation. Then in later years, I dated a PoliSci prof. Confirmed my worst opinion of the "discipline." At least we French Lit majors KNEW we were majoring in fiction.

[phillygirl]

Don't waste your pity. Even as an undergrad, I knew people majoring in PoliSci were mostly engaged in mental masturbation. Then in later years, I dated a PoliSci prof. Confirmed my worst opinion of the "discipline." At least we French Lit majors KNEW we were majoring in fiction.

LOL! I was the dreaded poli sci major. Some of my profs were interesting. Some, not so much. By my senior year I knew that, had I to do it over again I would never be a poli sci major. I was under the mistaken belief that pre-law majors did poli-sci. That was due to little or no direction from anyone on that. Since I was a double major with philosophy, most of my college career was a lot of mental exercises. I would still do the philosophy bit again, simply because I do think it challenged my mind and taught me how to think and make a cogent argument, but even then I knew the philosophy was just a training exercise, and without law school I had zero marketable skills for future employment.

The only time I ever hesitated on going to law school was towards the end of my tenure at college, when I thought I might want to become a philosophy professor. I look back on that now and just shake my head. I can't imagine spending my entire life thinking, talking, and writing about "actualization", or metaphysics, or some other ivory tower nonsense.

I was lucky enough to have many good professors that knew how to get us to apply these concepts to address real world issues.

[Michele]

What in the world is environmental poetry?

I don't know but if I had to guess it might have something to do with how destructive humans are to the environment..or, how the plants are our brothers and sisters..and that's not to say..that I don't believe ALL human beings need to take care of the earth and be good stewards.

[Michele]

She's all out lib. And she's very pro-Middle East. While I do think she's "feminist" (she apparently celebrated the last election with reference to making a necklace out of birth control pills, etc.) she doesn't see the dichotomy of the Arabic culture and her American freedoms.

Just a girl with book smarts and no real world insight. I feel sorry for the young people today who will be taught, someday, by someone like her.

I don't understand that. Never have, never will.

[Norm dePlume]

What in the world is environmental poetry?

Probably something like this:

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan- like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.
-Henry David Thoreau

[Gingersnap]

Sounds like prose to me. Prose about voluntary simplicity, social detachment, and introspection which is what Thoreau was mostly aiming for.

People used to write a terrific amount of poetry about Nature, Man versus Nature, Man in Nature, etc. That's mostly over in the West. I would guess 'environmental poetry' is mostly like the lyrics from Midnight Oil except less exciting or thoughtful.

[Billy Jingo]

"They're the worst generals of all, you know."