I moved here a couple years ago from the New Orleans by way of
Mississippi. It's cool, though New Orleans will
always be home no matter what.

I'm working on a PhD in Rhetoric at the University of Minnesota,
which, contrary to popular belief, does not make me a deceitful or
artful user of language. What it does mean is that I teach college
freshmen how to write, even though there really is no such thing,
and I study how to teach them to do it, as much as that is
possible. I happen to like college freshmen quite a bit. They're
lovely people. Thus, I have the best job in the world.

I transferred from a creative writing program, and we won't get
into that right now because I'm pretty sure you don't want to have to read a rant.

I once lived in a house with a couple of veterinary students, and pet-wise it was a crazy house with like 5 cats and 2 dogs. Sometimes I still miss it.

Back in the days of yore, OKCupid told me I was more "radcliffy"
than most. I took it as a compliment, though I didn't agree. You
should see my desk, for example. I suspect it all had something to do with the fact that I went to a snooty prep school.

Except for the fact that I curse like a sailor, I have perfect
manners. Again, prep school.

I'm more interested in questions than answers, and in starting
points and processes than end points and results. Life is situated and emergent, and while I recognize that limits and boundaries are necessary, I think we shouldn't let them overdetermine who we are and what we're in the constant process of becoming.

In related news, Descartes and Plato can totally kiss my ass.

Grad school. If you expect me to think beyond next week right now, you might be disappointed. Not really, but it does seem that way sometimes. I love teaching, so that's what I'm doing, I guess.

Also, I'm a roller derby official.

Being the Pips when "Midnight Train to Georgia" comes on the radio. I suppose this should probably go under "The Most Private Thing I'm Willing to Admit."

When they used to have the Psychologist Game on this site, I learned that I'm really, really good at spotting misogynists, tax cheats, and people who do blow. I mean, like really good.

Also, I'm pretty good at Scrabble.

I don't know, glasses?

a)I love the poetry of Terrence Hayes and Natasha Threthewey. As far as fiction, I'm going to go ahead and pick "Dogeaters" by Jessica Hagedorn for now, but a more frequent answer is probably "Wind-up Bird Chronicle."

b) Too many to pick, but if you're going to force me, I'll just go with Winter's Bone. It's a pretty great movie. The Red Riding trilogy is pretty great too. Wow I like some depressing movies.

c) The Wire, Parks and Rec, Home Movies

d) "Speak Your Word" by ISoul8, Osunlade & Rasiyah. Whoa. Also, this morning I've been listening to "Make that Move" by Shalamar on repeat.

I love me some Philly soul. Harold Melvin and Blue Notes featuring Teddy Prendergrast? Yes, please.

And (duh) "New Orleans" jazz. Yeah, those are air quotes; got a problem with that? Because probably everything should be in air quotes if you really think about it, but I digress.

I used to DJ at raves, so there's also that. As a consequence, I listen to a lot of blissed-out deep house and all manner of drum and bass, from the chilled out to the harder stuff that'll rough up a dance floor full of people who make me feel old.

d)Vietnamese, shrimp po boys (dressed, thank you), and my own personal version of chicken adobo which somehow tastes nothing like my mom's no matter how faithful to her recipe I stay. Also pizza. I can't get enough pizza.

books, a comfy bed, friends, roller skates and two other things. Maybe I'll let you pick them.

The fact that I never seem to be as thirsty as pretty much everyone else.

Feminist and digital pedagogy, the racial and gendered politics of taste and literacy, situated and emergent literacy practices.

How a lot of writing education seems more to be designed for making writing--and therefore an important form of political agency--more inaccessible than it claims.

The fact that lots and lots of people have chosen to write with a device that was designed for talking. It's kind of amazing and wonderful.

Why so many student writers say "males" and "females" instead of "men" and "women."

If OKC can *actually* tell if someone is organized or not.

Roller derby, Sebastian Joe's and other fun stuff that is unrelated to work. Promise.

Usually at home. Movies, internet, kitties.

Alternately, I might be out at a happy hour or movie with friends. Apparently, I really like movies. I'm a homebody by default, but it really doesn't take much convincing for me to not be one, by which I mean, all you have to do is ask and I'm far more likely than not to say yes.

I do housework in roller skates.

If you've read this far, you should just go ahead and do it. But if you want more reasons (as opposed to criteria), here you go:

You want to go snowboarding some time. Or roller skating.

You don't mind the fact that I say "totally" a lot. This happens, incidentally, more in print than in speech, but may explain why keeping ongoing penpal thingies is really difficult for me. But I promise it'll totally be easy with you. Which I can now say with confidence since I actually have a really awesome penpal I met on this site, but I'm still leaving that first part because I think I'm funny.

You're looking for a long-term partner who, like, is awesome at conversation and being affectionate and all that good stuff.

You want to have a friendly debate/discussion about feminism over delicious food and snooty beer or not so snooty wine.

Or otherwise if you think I might be time-kill worthy. New friends are always a plus. I so am, by the way. References available upon request.