Although I'm writing this on a Tuesday, I turned in three chapters of my Diss last Thursday, and true to the nursery rhyme quoted above, I do have far to go. The chapters were 1, 2 and 5 because of the content I had amassed and because of the HUGE revision I did in March. So, while I'm technically "half-way" done (those three chapters are about 110 pages), I still have a long road ahead. I've spent the past few days "not thinking," which is funny because that's all I've been doing is thinking (and sneezing and sleeping.....welcome to spring in the Buff). I like to feel that I'm moving forward with a positive attitude, so below are the things I've done (positive!) and the things I still have to do to really be "done" (still tryin' to be positive):
What's done with The Diss:
1. a title for the project: "Performing the Nation: the Rise of Buffalo's Symphonic Music Culture"
2. an outline of the chapters that I am comfortable with and that seem logical and good
Chapter 1---Intro--background, theories, lit review--done
Chapter 2--Buffalo Frontiertown to Boomtown, 1804--1860--done
Chapter 3--Patterns of Success? 1861--1919--not done
Chapter 4--Boundaries, Bridges and Booze, 1920--1934--not done
Chapter 5--The Buffalo Philharmonic Gets a New Deal, 1935--1940--done
Chapter 6--Epilogue--Ethnicity, Culture and Performance in Buffalo, New York--not done
3. a rough bibliography has been compiled as I write. ROUGH is the keyword here, though.
4. the research in Washington, D.C (for chapter 5) is complete
5. I have two full months to work on Chaps 3 and 4
6. Chapter 6 is not that long and I have a lot of that material from the parts I lopped off the first proposal (the Polish, jazz, Irish and Italian communitites), so maybe 10 pages already.
7. my teaching schedule for the fall is two classes that I've already taught, so little prep time at home, which means more for The Diss
8. I will earn this degree before I turn 40, which was the goal from the get-go.
What's not done:
1. a lot of the research for 3 and 4 has not been done. And, they are not years that I'm as familiar with, well 4 is, but 3 is iffy. So, lots of reading and trips to the ol' newspaper archives at the downtown library.
2. Chapter 5, while MOSTLY complete, still needs a good conclusion and some fact-finding at the library, especially newspaper reviews and articles about the BPO during the Great Depression. More days downtown.
3. My advisor won't be able to give me feedback on the stuff I sent her for a few weeks. And, I have no idea if it's crap or not......I hope NOT. So, I have to fend off anxiety about her responses to my work. Cuz I really want to be done. Soon. I just have to let it go until I hear from her and not worry and ponder about it and think about it and worry and......Anyone up for Happy Hour? Oh, it's only 10am.....damn.....Bloody Mary, then?
4. I need to re-connect with my other committee members and confirm they are on board, file all the paperwork, etc. This of course if after......
5......all the work is done, including revision (which I already know will happen). I'm shooting for October 31. Defend in March or April. Large, obnoxious party to follow. Keep ya posted on the details.
6. I haven't been able to write any of my chapters into journal articles YET but I did present Chapter 5 as a conference paper at UB in March (just staying positive.....)
So, 8 things done, 6 not done. But they are both equally heavy, in my humble opinion. I have been reading and taking notes to prepare for Chapter 3, and TOMORROW (not today), I will beging writing. Again. Today, "Tuesday's child is full of grace," and I will be working and cleaning and calming myself down and enjoying the day. The garden needs some attention, anyway.
Uh oh...."Wednesday's child is full of woe....." Maybe I should wait til Thursday to start writing again.....
Happy Tuesday!
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