If you know where to look, you can find me

If you search carefully, you'll find my work in French literary criticism. I can't be certain that this is a permanent or persistent link, but give it a try on Google Books. If you look for William Thompson's French XX Bibliography and search the text for Swanson or maybe this title (Convergences thématiques et narratives dans La Rue Cases-Nègres de Joseph Zobel et L'Enfant noir de Camara Laye), you'll find my name.

Below is bibliographical information if any of you faithful readers are truly interested. All is in APA format since I need to practice that style for my EdS research work.

Monye, L. P. & Swanson, K. A. (2001, September). Convergences thématiques et narratives dans La Rue Cases-Nègres de Joseph Zobel et L'Enfant noir de Camara Laye. CLA Journal, (45)1, 95-113.

That article is listed and or cited in the following:

Renaudin, C. & Toczyski, S. (2003, July 11). Ressources et illustrations. In En préparation à l'examen AP: L'Enfant noir de Camara Laye. Sonoma State University. Available from http://www.sonoma.edu/users/t/toczyski/camaralaye/clayeressources.html

and

Thompson, W. J. (2003). French XX bibliography: Critical and bibliographical references for the study of French. Selinsgrove, PA: Susquehanna University Press.

The latter means that I have contributed to the scholarly, peer-reviewed research and critique of French literature from 1885 to present! The former is a citation of my work in an AP French Literature study guide.

Thank you for your tolerance of my shameless self promotion.

My childhood "street gang"

Born in 1969, I teethed on Sesame Street. My own children teethed on Sesame Street. I'm guiltily fond of "Mahna Mahna." Today, I listened to a Feast of Fools episode (#926) that included an interview with children's entertainment journalist Michael Davis. Davis has recently published a definitive history of the premier children's television show, Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street. It's going to have to be next on my long reading list. I miss Super Grover, and I still sing "C Is for Cookie" and "It's Not Easy Being Green" at random. When you love the Muppets, a part of you never completely matures.

The week ahead or The List

So next week is my mid-winter break. Although I won't have to go to my classroom at all, I will have plenty of work to do:

• complete readings for each of my two graduate courses
• complete discussion questions & responses for the aforementioned classes
• complete an assignment/paper for each of these classes
• grade papers for all of my own classes
• prepare lessons for all my own classes
• prepare substitute instructions for all my own classes for three days of the following week
• arrange a carpool for my son for the three days that I'll be attending a graduate colloquium
• attend a graduate colloquium that begins Saturday
• practice yoga daily
• walk the dog daily
• have the car serviced: change oil & request little warranty repairs; rotate tires; wash
  
• wash & fold laundry
• do dishes
• do the custody shuffle with children and ex-wife
  
• shop for food
• watch TiVo with addictively reckless abandon
• read Watchmen
• bathe the dog
• press the Easy button
• do the Dew
• Just do it

Ok. Got it. Why do I need a vacation?

Home for this holiday

John is here with me today. It's good to have him home. We stayed in and split a bottle of chardonnay. The dog is very glad that John is home, too. The children are with their mother this weekend. I prefer when they're here with me, but a custody agreement is what it is. Tomorrow, John goes back to New York. It's tough here without him, but at least we have unlimited cell phone minutes together.

Tomorrow, I think that I will have my hair cut.

Valentine's Day

My boyfriend will be home for Valentine's Day. It's a total Hallmark marketing holiday, but I don't care. I just want to be with him, and because it will be 14 Feb, I'm especially glad. I really miss him.