"If I can talk you out of being a writer..."

[sleigh]

Generally at some point during a semester, I'll give a variation on this line to my Creative Writing students: "If you can be talked out of being a writer, then you probably weren't meant to be one."

I think this article might be making the same argument to potential grad school students. "The reality is that less than half of all doctorate holders — after nearly a decade of preparation, on average — will ever find tenure-track positions."

Comments

Grad school

[markiv1111.livejournal.com]

My father, a Ph.D. in Romance languages who worked for most of his life either in the foreign service (USIA/USIS) or as a professor, found it almost impossible to grasp that, not only did I want to work as a musician (with a typing/secretarial office job as a backup plan), but that no matter how I tried, I could not see any future whatever for myself in academia. It simply did not strike me as being an area where there was a lot of highly-paid employment, and I was quite sure I would have to jump through hoops to get any work at all. You may remember that when I graduated from high school I was considered a math and science nerd, and I attended Macalester College with the thought that I would utilize their excellent science program; but the older student from my high school who had told me about Macalester (also a math and science nerd), when I tracked him down many years later to thank him for the connection, turned out to be working only part-time, while his librarian wife supported their kids. I believe my father died quite disappointed in me, so I am all the happier to see a lot of my beliefs in print. I also simply didn't want to learn how to write a proposal that would get me a grant; for me, it has always made more sense for me to apply for a job and get paid what I'm worth. So right this instant, having read "Thomas Benton's" article, I am feeling -- not quite smug, but at least vindicated. I will be very interested to see what your other friends have to say on this topic.

Nate