Q&A | Part 1: Life

[@KayAmpersand]

Ah, how I enjoyed this video! Totally on board with you on PhDs and university politics. I got my PhD a couple of years ago and have been adjuncting ever since. My view about working alongside people of similar backgrounds and constantly learning in a nice, collegiate atmosphere has been turned upside down and I am actively looking to transition to the private sector...selling my soul (at least for now). I think you will make a great high school teacher - I have learned so much from your eloquent explanations and arguments on booktube!

[@OneBookMore]

It's fascinating to hear about your studies, Whitney! I have loved learning some more about you and your education. Very cool. I have a good friend from college that teaches at the university level in Wisconsin, and she tells similar tales of abuse and indifference. I hope that you enjoy high school teaching! One of my favorite high school teachers was also an adjunct at the local state university, and she was absolutely wonderful BECAUSE she was so comfortable teaching at a higher level. I'm sure you will be great!

[@alltheshelves9142]

This is so encouraging! Thanks for letting me know. I hope that the transition works for me and my students but I am really nervous. But every time I hear something negative about working at a university I become more and more happy that I made the choice that I did for next year.

[@zezeest.9744]

Yea gurl!! Michael Fassbender! Woo!! I know this video is to answer questions but I have another one and it's what podcasts do you listen to? I enjoy podcasts as well and am always looking for new ones, especially any on books, history, and culture.

[@BlatantlyBookish]

Wow! It's fascinating to hear about your educational life. I think it's amazing that you focus on superheroes! It's a concept I've been interested in lately between the advent of all of the new Marvel TV series and movies, and my boyfriend recently introducing me to comics, and the novel Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. I would love to hear more about your dissertation and your thoughts on some of the superhero stuff I just mentioned. I can tell that you're going to be a fantastic high school teacher! I'd love to hear more about your curriculum, what you are going to teach, and how you like high school! I think it's amusing that you are on booktube to get away from your more analytical, PHD-related work. Something that I love about your channel is how insightfully you analyze and discuss books. I watch booktube mainly for that type of analytical discussion (which isn't always plentiful). I was an English major in undergrad at a small liberal arts school, but I'm currently in my fourth year of dental school. Ever since entering dental school my ability to discuss literature and write in coherent sentences has slowly diminished. Sometimes I reread old essays that I wrote and I am shocked. It's almost like they were written by a different person. Sometimes I also think about how different I would be if I went to grad school for English instead of what I'm currently doing. Sorry... you being so open about yourself in this video is prompting me to do the same in my response. At one point in the video you ask who would read your article on the sublime and Captain America.... I totally would! Occasionally I search for literary criticism to supplement my reading, but I have a hard time finding it without access to databases or a professor recommending certain critics and essays. I also think your fascination with horror is interesting. I love Gothic literature and thinking about the ways in which the Gothic as a genre has evolved into the modern day genres of mysteries and horror and has permeated into popular culture and film. I'm going to stop rambling now, but if you couldn't tell by my response, I absolutely loved this video and I'm SO glad that I found your channel!!

[@alltheshelves9142]

I know how it is when you want to read literary criticism without access to databases or university libraries. I had three years off between degrees when I didn't have any access and it was such a bummer. I had to get my sister to check things out from her university for me. Now that sister is in dental school like you, actually! Thank you so much for watching and leaving me these comments. They made me feel great!

[@KrystalLynne]

Really loved hearing your story about embarking into PhD land. I applied last year to a few places and didn't get in anywhere (waitlisted at one, which at the time felt like such a victory) -- but I'm going to try again this year and basically work at nothing else. PhD applications are THE MOST TIME CONSUMING THING EVER. Your dissertation sounds absolutely fascinating -- good luck with the defense preparation! You've got this! :)

[@alltheshelves9142]

Being wait listed is a huge victory!! People really don't realize how competitive grad school is. I remember reading once that it's harder to get into an English graduate program than it is to get into Harvard Law (in terms of percentage of students who apply that get accepted). That stat has made me feel better ever since. The application process is a nightmare and then the degree itself is so hard, but in the end I feel like I have accomplished something that not many people can say they have done and I'm a better person for it. I'm rooting for you!!

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

This was so interesting! Especially what you said about university and teaching and the value of literature. And big yeah to Michael Fassbender!

[@alltheshelves9142]

Fassbender 4-eva!!

[@DanMartinlikesyou]

First off, I can't believe I missed the opportunity to ask you questions! How did I not see your call to action for this Q&A!? Secondly, what a great video! I love how open and honest you are with your answers. It's inspiring -- especially because I'm getting ready to do one myself and was getting pretty anxious about it. Anyway, fantastic stuff as always! Thanks for the awesome video! PS -- B-Horror flicks: Have you seen Dead Alive? IT'S SO AMAZING!!!

[@alltheshelves9142]

Looking forward to your Q&A! Sorry you missed the time for questions, but you can always ask me anything. Also, yes yes yes to Dead Alive.

[@ThatsWhatSheRead]

Yay! Thanks for answering my questions! I would love a b-horror video! I get the Michael Fassbender thing 😉 totally. It was so interesting to hear about your education journey and those high schoolers are so lucky to have you as their teacher!!

[@alltheshelves9142]

Maybe I'll save all my horror stuff for October. Then I can just obsess about horror for a whole month. And, thank you! I hope you're right! :)

[@KnowledgelostOrgOnline]

Interesting to hear the problems behind paying teachers in University (I'm sure it is not the same in Australia but maybe a similar mentality). The reason I quit university was that I would go to a class and then given a hand out to read. I didn't feel like paying for classes, was the best use of my time if they are not going to teach. I can read without paying that much.

[@KnowledgelostOrgOnline]

Ok, time to test your knowledge on b grade horror (although I may class this as z-grade horror) but are you the only other person out there that has seen Dead and Breakfast?

[@alltheshelves9142]

I haven't!! But now I will try to track it down! That title sounds so great.

[@nowvoyaging8881]

Thank you for answering my questions! Can't wait for part two!

[@nowvoyaging8881]

Also, if you are going on a Charles Manson hunt...check out the series on Charles Manson from the podcast You Must Remember This. Fascinating and disturbing and so well done!

[@alltheshelves9142]

Thanks for the recommendation! I will definitely check out that podcast because I don't know anything about Charles Manson at all - seems like a big gap in my pop culture knowledge.

[@thebookfox]

Yes please to videos about horror films! You know me, I'm a big horror fan that's still exploring the classics so I'm excited at the idea of hearing from a "proper" horror fan and maybe discovering some amazing new films!! Great video btw, very informative!!

[@alltheshelves9142]

I'm thinking of doing a ton of videos in october about horror so I can just talk about it forever. You watch so many horror movies!! It seems like we love a lot of the same ones.

[@LampSunnies]

This was so much fun to watch! I had no idea about how graduate school and all that worked in the US so don't apologise for ranting because I found it super interesting. Also yes to Michael Fassbender

[@alltheshelves9142]

I'm glad you liked the stuff about grad school! I actually ended up cutting a bunch of it because I really can talk about education forever.

[@KathleenAnnBooks]

I loved this video and hearing all of your answers. Please share the books you and your classes are reading so we can all read along!

[@alltheshelves9142]

Will do! Thanks!

[@MarieBergCarlsen]

This was so interesting! I really enjoyed getting to know you better! :) Im so excited that you're going to be a high school teacher - yay, thats what I do too, and its absolutely wonderful - its the perfect way also to keep studying for work hehe! Im sure you'll love it! xx

[@alltheshelves9142]

I didn't know you did that too! (I haven't watched your Q&A video yet, so I'm not caught up on Marie!!) I'm glad to hear that you like the job because I am really nervous about the transition.

[@massnerderr]

Since you mentioned it, I would love to see more videos from you about the PhD process...I am considering getting a PhD in special education, and feel both extremely excited and overwhelmed by the process and time commitment it involves. Also, a bit discouraged to hear about the negative way things are going for professors right now. :( I currently teach in a public school - and though there is a fair share of burnout and frustration with how teachers are treated there also - I have found it a very positive experience overall...mostly because the kids are so great, and honestly challenge me to grow in how I think every day.

[@alltheshelves9142]

I am in awe of special education teachers in high schools. It seems so difficult and so rewarding at the same time. For me, getting a PhD has been worthwhile for my personal development and made me feel more competent in my career, but it has also had some really negative psychological effects. The workload is fine, but that attitudes surrounding academia right now are really discouraging. But I should definitely talk more about all this in some videos.

[@katehowereads]

I'm also very jealous of your high school students this upcoming year. I would love to have you as a teacher!

[@alltheshelves9142]

That's so nice. Thank you, Kate.

[@RyanRabid]

Dangit I came here to feel good.. and then got to hear about my future hopes for a job **crying/laughing emoji** No, in all seriousness it was pretty great to hear about your route through undergrad to where you're at now :) and RUSHMOREEEEEE!!!!!!!! I love that movie so much. This video might have been long but went so quickly and I really enjoyed it!

[@alltheshelves9142]

Thanks! Sorry about making you feel good about all your life choices!!! :) But there are SO many good things about going to graduate school that I would never take it back (even though sometimes I really wish it were over. haha).

[@katehowereads]

Loved this!!! I love that you drink from a big gulp...I love Michael Fassbender too! Ironically, an interview with him was suggested below this video. haha, so funny that you have a crush on Larry David. I've always had a crush on Richard Dreyfus.

[@alltheshelves9142]

So do you think the Fassbender video was suggested because I talked about him (I don't think I tagged him!) or because you watch so many Fassbender videos that youtube just knows what you like. ;) That kills me about Richard Dreyfus!!! That makes me feel so much more secure about Larry David! :)

[@MarcDyllan]

Thank you for answering my question, appreciate it! BTW would LOVE to read about the Sublime in Capitan America. I don't really like superheroes or comicbooks to be honest, buuut, I do have an intrest in Kant, and you political aspects of the idea of sublime, so that's a deal maker. If I ever get the chance, I'll give it a read.

[@alltheshelves9142]

I hope you do get a chance! That's one of the chapters that I mean to publish on its own if I can get it polished enough.

[@becomingnicole]

I love horror films too! Have you seen Creep and Hush on Netflix? They are very good, chilling, creepy horror/ thriller films. Definitely recommend both of them.

[@alltheshelves9142]

I have seen both of those! I thought they were both so solid! I love Mark Duplass, so I was sold on Creep from the first scene. And Hush was such a scary concept!

[@ASoron0424]

Ugh, the adjunct situation. I work in a tutoring center where I have to try to make sense of the piecemeal instructions given by exhausted adjuncts to their 8 p.m. classes and it's so clear that these teachers are just being run ragged. They're teaching 5 classes with 30+ students because it's a core course -- doing this on top of their day jobs. So they don't have the time to give students feedback, so the kid fails the first assignment and doesn't know how to improve... It's a shitstorm, and seldom discussed. I feel your frustration.

[@alltheshelves9142]

Ok, so you totally get it! I never thought about how adjunct teaching could affect tutors! I always think about the teachers themselves and the students, but I've been reading about adjunct positions are affecting tenure track professors and now this about other educators! It's really depressing. And I know high school teaching isn't a cake walk or anything, but I have to think that it's not as bad as adjuncting - at least there are benefits and twice the pay.

[@alibaileylovesyou]

I'm getting an American Studies degree from small liberal arts women's college in the Northeast (aka Smith, lol) so I soooo appreciate your studies. I tend to use literature as a means of interrogating social constructs, especially race, but I look at things like gender and poverty (usually as it intersects with race). I'm thinking my honors thesis may be on homelessness in American cities, since I've focused most of my internships on non profits that shelter the homeless, which brings (as you mentioned) very expensive San Francisco into my life and studies. I'm also very interested in any thing you'd like to create on your Uni experience as I am lost in a cloud of "what am I going to do with my life" thoughts. Academia intimidates me, office work leaves me uninspired. Am very interested in teaching high school, as it turns out. NYC is definitely one of those places where teachers are a dire need, and I've been thinking about getting my certification.... Anyway, you are cool and very relatable, you are also #goals. Like very cool and I really liked this video, can't wait for part 2! P.S. Kudos for making the channel, I've been watching book tube for years, have been so interested in starting a channel and never have. I guess that's the manifestation of my own anxiety! P.P.S This is me sharing, because as you mentioned, it's always weird to give out a part of yourself without it being a conversation haha

[@alltheshelves9142]

I completely understand that feeling as you're finishing up your undergrad and you don't quite know how it all is going to turn out. Because I still have that feeling! haha. I don't know that I will ever know exactly what I'm going to be doing the following year, but maybe that's just a sign of ambition. I think it would be great to hear from you and your perspective on booktube! But I understand not wanting to do it! Those first few videos are really scary. Luckily, people have been so nice and welcoming on here and none of my fears ended up coming true.