Really enjoyed your literate and informative blog. FWIW I think if you tightened up a couple of the colloquialisms (“gotta”) and edited for length, you’d be a good contender for Newsweek’s “My Turn” column. FWIW.

In my opinion you articulated the plight of us who were at or past the hump of the Baby Boom in terms of finding suitable employment in academia. And you were funny! Much harder to do than bitter, as I’m sure you’re aware.

Thank you for providing a sincere pleasure to this early Fiftysomething, who has at various times called himself a “college teacher,” “instructor” (I despise the term “educator”), “community scholar,” chair of “The Reading Group” (I’m not crazy about “salonista” either); and who has been called “Independent Journalist,” “Germanist,” “Freelance Journalist” [or reporter or writer], “Youth Leader,” and, most improbably, “Mr. Chicago” [a travel piece that ran in a limited circulation weekly in Miami -- don't blame me!]. And don’t get me started on the law-firm titles.

I stopped out from Northwestern with an M.A. in “Germanistik” (as if you couldn’t tell); then about ten years later went to a local [UCC-affiliated] seminary and got a perfectly meaningless liberal-arts degree in religious studies (as opposed to the “ordination-track” M.Div., which would have required at least another year).

It was really enjoyable reading the blog, and thank you again.

Yours gratefully,
Allen Smalling (Rogers Park, Chicago, IL).

PS: I drive a Ford Focus and would jump at the chance to evaluate a Mercury Milan, which as you probably know is just a slightly more attitudinous version of the “family-sized” Ford Fusion (the Linc. having far more attitude — and weight).
To each his (or her) own! – a.s.

Thanks, Amanda. It’s a great post.