Our wedding is a month from today. WTF? I told Sean, until I've finished my papers for this semester, I can't even really focus my attention on it. But I'm close to done. My modern art paper is all set; I present my Durer paper in two hours, and hopefully my professor will not suggest major revisions. This weekend is "Byzantine illuminated manuscript fun time" and then I present that on Tuesday.
I wrote my first abstract to submit to that Bryn Mawr conference! It amuses/horrifies me that my first professionally presented paper could be on Playboy. I will also admit to a bit of the 'sin of pride': when we were hanging out before class earlier this week, another girl mentioned that she was thinking of just coming up with an idea to submit to the conference, and then writing the paper over the summer. I didn't say anything, but in my head I was thinking 'our professor suggested I send my paper in, so THERE!'
Naturally, getting this kind of validation from a professor also makes me more confident that this is somewhere I belong, that I can really do this. My first semester I was nervous that somehow, what I did wouldn't be enough, and they would regret giving me that fellowship. Then I got an A in all three classes, and I felt better, having proved that I was up to snuff academically. Even if it stands precious little chance of being accepted, as the conference is open not only to art history, but to history and classics as well (ladies and gentlemen, an analysis of appropriation in Sappho's poetry, followed by Ms. DiMarzo's naked ladies), just submitting a paper makes me feel, again, like I'm proving to myself that I can be an art historian. And, come fall, I will undertake to prove it a third time by passing the comps, but that's another can of worms entirely!
No comments:
Post a Comment