The OF Blog: A personal post

Thursday, June 19, 2008

A personal post

I very rarely write "personal" stuff here, but since I let my so-called "personal blog" devolve into a depository for my 2008 reading list, I'll just make a brief post here.

As some of you know, I've been working for three and a half months as a general teacher (meaning I taught all subjects) at a residential treatment center in my hometown area (near Nashville, place unimportant). I was hired to teach the girls' unit and special education for the boys. Unfortunately, due to many things outside of my (or the center's, apparently), the numbers on the girls' unit dropped to the point where they had to suspend the program until new insurance carriers could be brought on board. So...

Yeah. I'm technically without a job now, being laid off for probably a few weeks to a couple of months. While I'll be looking for work in the interim (and there is the possibility of me being rehired next week at a reduced rate to work in another department), there is oddly a slight silver lining for this blog. Since I won't be quite as exhausted during the week (and since this is more like a semi-paid vacation, as I'll draw benefits), looks like I'll finally have the time to sit down and write out two rather lengthy reviews, one for here (on John Rieder's Colonialism and the Emergence of Science Fiction), and one for Strange Horizons (dual reviews of Ursula Le Guin's Lavinia and Jo Graham's Black Ships; this one will have its draft complete by this weekend, I believe). Oh, and maybe a few other things, as time and mood permit.

Don't care for sympathy now; I have it easier than many others I worked with recently. Just wanted to post to get it out, to get the positivity flowing again, and to get ready to write some of the better reviews I'll have written in quite some time.

Now all I need to complete the feel-good part of this is for people to send me squirrel pictures. I dunno why, but I think it'd be amusing.

7 comments:

Neth said...

Well, best of luck on your on-going job troubles.

On the review front, you may want to consider holding your planned review of Colonialism and the Emergence of Science Fiction and submit to a new on-line journal. Jonathan McCalmont has just started a SFF non-fiction journal that is a paying market and one that I imagine would appeal to you (I think this is the evolution of Scalpel).

Fruitless Recursions

Larry Nolen said...

Thanks for the tip, Ken, as I might do that (I can always write the forthcoming review of Adam Roberts' book on a similar subject, which I received yesterday, for here). And thanks also for the well-wishes. I might be getting a call for a public school interview tonight or tomorrow. Nice timing, huh? :P

Anonymous said...

What's better than a squirrel? TWO squirrels! Here you go: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/204/496458731_e89b3da0b6.jpg

Good luck with finding a new job. I've got new respect for you, btw. I could never be a teacher. Students are evil (I've been one, I know... and we were quite good behaved compared to others).

Mihai A. said...

Hi Larry. I hope you'll enjoy your paid vacation and I hope you'll achieve everything you want :)
Here's a squirrel
http://neatorama.cachefly.net/images/2007-10/sugar-bush-squirrel-for-president.jpg

Larry Nolen said...

Thanks, both of you! Lovely pictures! And as for the job stuff, I now have quite a few options, including a full-time community college one only 30 minutes from home! I just saw that one in the paper a few minutes ago and I'll be inquiring later today.

Kristen said...

Good luck on the job search. Paid vacation sounds fun; enjoy it while it lasts. :)

Here are some crazy squirrels:
http://www.whitetail.com/cdwsquirel.html

Larry Nolen said...

Thanks for the well-wishes and squirrel porn, Kristen! :D I know just the young lady I'll show these to!

 
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