tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27054305.post3458421306999243110..comments2023-12-23T04:56:29.702-05:00Comments on Ferule & Fescue: MLA Day Three: paneldemoniumFlaviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832765671541392835noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27054305.post-5455925182529697742008-01-01T22:40:00.000-05:002008-01-01T22:40:00.000-05:00Flavia--was great to meet you, and nice to lunch l...Flavia--was great to meet you, and nice to lunch leisurely in preparation for a really good panel. Hoping we cross conference paths again sometime soon---RGRenaissance Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06243095907452011303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27054305.post-39365247198395650262008-01-01T17:00:00.000-05:002008-01-01T17:00:00.000-05:00Dance: I take your point, but I don't feel that I'...Dance: I take your point, but I don't feel that I'm <I>often</I> that excited by the Q&A, even when it's not my panel--there are some exceptions, absolutely, but so often the questions seem more about the questioner's desire to show off, or have something to say, or be kind to one's friend, or whatever, than about really furthering the discussion. <BR/><BR/>Perhaps it's because I'm better one-on-one myself, but the Q&A just doesn't seem <I>conversational</I> to me usually, or not in a productive way. For this reason, although I do myself ask questions in the Q&A occasionally, it's more common for me to go up to chat with panelists--including those I don't know--afterwards. To me that's a better way of asking for a minor clarification, passing on a citation or a reference, or something of that nature. . . and it has the benefit of allowing me to make a personal contact.<BR/><BR/>I agree about the irritation of having the chair read a paper, since I like to associate a paper with a person and to have someone to refer questions to. But what I like about panels that distinguishes them from articles is learning about work in progress--stuff that often won't see print for years--and getting a sort of sampler-menu of what people in my field are working on. It's a great opportunity to see new patterns, meet or see in person scholars I've never met (and especially young scholars, who may not yet have published), and so on. And all that in less time than it would usually take to read a single article, much less three or four!<BR/><BR/>Tracy: after two conferences in Chicago in 10 months, I think I'm done with the city for a while, but thanks for the invite! I'm really rather surprised that I'm the kind of person who likes conferences (being an introvert and all), but I seem to be. I think it's the mixture of structured and unstructured interactions, and the fact that there's always an acceptable reason or way to strike up conversations even with strangers.<BR/><BR/>Oh, and finally Sisyphus: I didn't have many on-campus interviews, but I was always more comfortable there than in MLA interviews (and more comfortable in both than in panel Q&As). I think it's because the more time there is, the more ways there are to convey a sense of oneself and one's ideas, personality, etc. Being on the spot always sucks, but I've found that the more time I have, the more charming I can be. . . and the more likely I am to say something that returns me to the appearance of smartness.Flaviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17832765671541392835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27054305.post-17793457685036167172007-12-31T20:16:00.000-05:002007-12-31T20:16:00.000-05:00I think you should be my escort to conferences in ...I think you should be my escort to conferences in my discipline. I despise our conferences, but you sound like you'd have fun at any conference.<BR/><BR/>Up for a dull political science conference in Chicago this spring?!Tracyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14275350201244684229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27054305.post-41147336460567924372007-12-31T19:59:00.000-05:002007-12-31T19:59:00.000-05:00Really? without the Q&A I could have just read an ...Really? without the Q&A I could have just read an article. I'm philosophically opposed to chairs reading papers, for this reason--just seems like a theft of my time.dancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05560093455630610783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27054305.post-24414816999348511192007-12-31T17:10:00.000-05:002007-12-31T17:10:00.000-05:00It was great to see you! I, too, hate the Q&A part...It was great to see you! <BR/><BR/>I, too, hate the Q&A part of panels the most. (And based on how my department questions people at their job talks, I'm going to hate and fear those Q&As too.)Sisyphushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09880634753539329199noreply@blogger.com