Nick -
Why would I want a PhD to lead a discussion on Literature?
Because, even though I was a participant in the Berkeley dustup of the
sixties, I still think that expertise has its place in the world.
I wasn't actually criticizing your desire for a PhD in English to lead
the seminar, but rather defending the requirement as being possibly also
a *constraint* you felt in trying to develop an externally credible program.
I don't disagree that someone deeply educated and then probably spending
many years practicing in a field may give them unique skills, knowledge
and insight that are invaluable in leading a study in the topic.
On the other hand, many of us have experienced something completely
different. We have seen that what should have been deep training may
have been more like indoctrination and/or hazing... that some of those
who acquire such training are not demonstrating their dedication and
application to specific topic, but rather testing their endurance and
perhaps that of daddy's checkbook. And what should have been years of
practice and extended research/study became years of self-serving
pontification. Not required of someone holding a PhD (and I know the
flux of PhDs here is high) but an all too common result.
I would claim that a PhD in *anything* is neither necessary nor
sufficient to practice or teach in that field. *That Said*, I'm not
trying to say that a PhD rules it out either, except in some cases.
<self-aggrandizing personal anecdote>
/I do not know that much about English as an Academic Profession.
My wife has an English degree and taught for a few years before
giving up on the idea of anyone ever learning anything they needed
to know in an institution. She is much more radical than I will
ever be. So she's no help in your case. She has a special trident
she uses to eviscerate PhDs in English.
I took all the English/Literature/Writing courses required/desired
of/by me in College from a single professor. I had a crush on
her... but she was also *very good*. I also learned fencing from
her. I think I was the only one in the program not learning fencing
to enhance their credibility in the SCA. She was in her 60's. It
was a romantic crush, but not the usual hormonal driven one and
certainly not actionable. I'm probably the only one in this crowd
likely to be wearing a saber scar (had I tried anything cute) from
my University days. I'm sure there are plenty of former fencers
here, just not ones tempted to make moves on a feisty little woman
half my size and three times my age while she holds a length of
sharpened steel.
She had a PhD (English, not swordplay). I was already a prolific
reader, but she lead me to love to write. She lead me to discover
a much broader class of writing than I ever would have found on my
own. She caused me to move from taking a full load (16hrs) of
science, math, engineering to an overfull load (21hrs) of science,
math, engineering *and* language, philosophy, anthropology, etc. for
the entire 5 years I was in college. At $600/semester I wanted to
get my money's worth!
The result wasn't a PhD, but it was about 200 hours of coursework
across the campus and most of the schools and a dozen independent
study classes with the best teachers I could find and a lot of extra
reading in any of the courses I found engaging. Had I not found
myself with 2 young children (how did that happen?) and surprise
expenses (emergency caesarean) that my income as a young
entreprenuer couldn't cover I might well have continued on
to/through a PhD program. But only if I found the right advisor...
and the right topic.
Instead I accepted two BS Degrees (Math/Physics) and a high tech
job in a small town in the mountains of NM where I could make enough
money to pay off the bills I woke up one day with.
It was fabulous and I can credit most of it to a 5' tall silver
haired woman whose mind and wit were even sharper than the point of
her foil or the edge of her saber. She honed all of her weapons
continuously, but kept the safety's on when working with the young
and innocent. I'm still in love with her. She would be in her
90's. She is probably still somewhere chasing young men off the
fencing mat.
/
</self-aggrandizing personal anecdote>
Maybe she is available to lead such a seminar... though I recommend
taking breaks from the dry talk about writing by old white men for some
physical activity with limber steel.
Seriously, I hope you do find the right person to lead such a group, PhD
or not. I don't currently allow myself the time to engage in such
activities (so why do I waste so much time writing and writing and
writing?) but I do approve mightily of the format for those with the
time and inclination.
Sally forth!
- Steve
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