Bless Me, Legba.

Legba, the Vodou spirit of thresholds and liminal states, is on my mind right now… Aside from continued job hunting and the loan process (which leaves us pretty neither here nor there, financially), I am half way between published and not-published, as well. I need all the help I can get, and since Vodou is famous for its practical and luck-based effects, it seems to be the logical refuge.

I sent off my semi-final draft of the Jack Benny chapter to my editor, and am waiting and holding my breath until I hear from him. Regardless of the outcome, big thanks go to Amanda, Allen, Catherine and especially John (who read it very carefully at least twice and helped significantly in re-writes) for all their questions, comments, encouragement, and editing suggestions.

After eight drafts, this thing is as polished as I could get it without a professional Benny-aware editor’s eyes. Now it is in his, and Legba’s, hands… I hope for the best, as always.

I will certainly let you know.

Even more transitory, I have written up the first draft of my preliminary dissertation proposal. In August, I have a ten page proposal due, and this week or next, I hope to submit a two-page trial (so as to find out if the core idea is fine with Advisor before proceeding with ten-pager). So this is a proposal for a proposal, and is in the first draft stage... Weird sort of PhD study equivalent to a promise ring, I guess.

Those of you who usually receive copies of such things for dry runs, expect transmission sometime soon. (At least a draft of a dry-run, if that sounds like it even exists in this dimension.)

Movement on the job front shows promise in terms of my hoped-for research position, and John continues to submit resumes, so that still requires attention and optimism, as well. We are down to raiding the penny jar, so we better get some movement soon before June rent day comes.

So, now that the Benny chapter is seeing its curtain, I am back to comp reading, etc., as well as editing the Chaplin and Groucho pieces for publication. Somehow, though, the Benny chapter has cleared my mind for the next publishing adventures…

The first one was the killer, and I almost feel adequate to future tasks, now.

The next move seems to be forward, I think. And possibly even upwards.