PhD blog: 12
Graham Foster is a PhD student at Manchester Metropolitan University, researching how 9/11 affected North American literature. He has just been refused funding. Work (at last) I have recovered from last month’s revelation and, after running away to the wilds of Scotland for much-needed solitude (and the vital absence of an internet connection), I have begun to approach my 80,000 word thesis with vigour. That said, I should make it clear that I have been working all year, gathering secondary materials, reading, note taking and a little bit of writing, but I launched into the work like never before – eight hours a day for five days. I can’t tell you how good this feels. It’s like someone scratching a hard-to-reach area of your back as you become more and more relieved that the discomfort has been challenged.
I have started by rereading and making copious notes to construct a detailed, close reading of the novels of Douglas Coupland, the focus of much of my study. These are just my own thoughts at present, detailed with quotes from the texts, but after I have finished this, I will focus on finding secondary material to support my arguments. I will reread theory such as Jean Baudrillard and Marshall McLuhan, look at reviews of the novels from when they first came out, and find interviews with the author to see if he can enlighten me further. So far, I’ve read, and written about, four out of eleven books – of course, the pace of my work has slowed since returning from Scotland, now that I am immersed in paid, job-style work and phone calls and emails and marking and “do you want to go for a pint” and “the new series of Heroes starts tonight on BBC2” and … well, you get the picture. It is, of course, my DoS who has helped me break up the massive thesis into focussed pieces of work. That’s not to say my thesis isn’t focussed, it’s just big, and if it can be broken up into smaller fragments at this stage it will help. And it’s surprising how much that motivates the mind. I am up early, and either reading or at my computer by nine every morning, treating the work as a job (albeit one that I pay for the privilege to do!), and trying to block out the distractions. It often feels as if study is the last thing to worry about when you are on an unfunded PhD, struggling for money and struggling for time, but my DoS has reminded me sternly that the only thing to worry about is the study, then you will always make time for it. And it’s working … I’m working. It is my regret, though, that I will have to cut this post short. I have just returned from working all day at a business magazine (freelance), and I am just about to leave to work in an off licence. I won’t lie to you, I’m tired and I better stop writing lest this descends into gibberolknbdv;/jn esa’/llknndfbv’ N? bkjjhbg Read Graham's previous blogs:Graham's other blog (on BlogSpot)
Suggestions to editorial@prospects.ac.uk
|
