My strangest class of the semester continues to be my strangest class of the semester. Yesterday in LGBT Studies we had a guest speaker, Max Wolf Valerio, an author who's just come out with a brand-new book on his FTM transition. My instructor was introducing Max by listing some of the various things he's had published and filmed.
Instructor: ...he's also been included in a book called Male Lust, which is something that Dianna should probably check out...
Me, startled: What?
Instructor: You know, for your shelf of anthropology books.
Me: Oh. Uh, right.
Last weekend I returned to the class website and posted a sort of informational note about some books I'd found in my possession which related to a class unit on masculinity. By way of apologetic introduction, I mentioned that I'm in the habit of picking up cheap used anthropology books whenever I come by them, and that's how I'd gotten these. Nobody responded to my post -- and thank goodness, given what happened last time -- so I pretty much forgot about it until yesterday.
Mind you, I'm not complaining about getting personally-tailored book suggestions from an instructor. I can imagine that teaching a class is much more interesting when you can occasionally direct remarks at particular students to whom you know they'll be relevant. But couldn't I get a comment now and then that doesn't sound so loaded? I thought I was being called out for my porn collection in the middle of class. Sheesh.
On the other hand, I received back today a bundle of reading responses (for this same class) which I had written with the help of a stiff drink and, as several hours of translating my notes wore on, an increasingly belligerent attitude. Among other things, I'd accused Judith Butler of bullshitting and called the instructor's editing of the film clips shown in class exploitative. I got 10.5 points out of 10 for the bundle and a note saying "excellent work".
What does this say about me as a student? I'm male, lusty, drunk, belligerent, and excellent.
Posted by dianna at April 12, 2006 05:40 PMDude, it's nice to know that your auto-defensive systems are functional.
OK, OK, just kidding. But hey, this is cool: Your prof was making a jolly! He was teasing you and sticking an elbow in your ribs! Which means, according to the rules of the playground and of the college classroom (so similar), that he likes you.
Or he found your previous blog post and finds it really funny that you thought you could hide that booty. Oowwww!
Posted by: katie at April 13, 2006 11:59 AMAuto-defensive systems? Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!
Anyway, you, I'm not the only one around here with an unhideable booty. Mine just happens to stick out farther in the internet direction.
Posted by: Dianna at April 14, 2006 12:28 AMFunny, because when I sit facing the internet, my booty sticks out the other way.
Posted by: katie at April 14, 2006 12:29 AM