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I know things have been quiet around here recently. Mostly, I’m hunkering down and working around here while we’re inbetween houseguests. I’ve got a pile of other people’s writing I’m working through today as I passively ponder how best to present the material in the chapter I’m currently revising/developing, which of the 1000 readings I want to include should be cut from my syllabus, and so on and so forth. I’ll think of something clever to post soon.

Wednesday’s conundrum was solved with an ambiguous title for my rountable “presentation”: “Love, Craft and Erudition in Sound Studies” because I’ve been thinking a lot about the stuff Charlie and I are back-and-forthing about in the comments to Wednesday’s post.

Love — because the best work always conveys the author’s passion for the subject matter, and no other motivation produces as strong work

Craft — because there must be some attention to how work is put together beyond slavish (and boring) devotion to “proper” method

Erudition — because I’m tired of reading books where the author didn’t bother to look in the bibliographies of the texts he or she cited, and therefore missed the most important parts of the literature from which s/he drew the argument

Bottom line is that it’s totally uncontroversial (who would disagree with this?) but it’s a start for a panel. I’ll think of something more contentious by March. . . .