I don't know why, but I found this interview to be very heartwarming. Something about Leslie's experience exudes the empathy that is lacking in academia.
Glad it landed that way, Jason. I found it heartening, too, to know that others were struggling to find purpose in industry pathways. I'm glad that more of these alternative spaces for intellectual conversation are emerging, and that some of them can even enrich ongoing scholarship. Leslie shows that we don't have to cast academe as an evil empire just because we've left it.
Well ... I left it because it was an evil empire ... Reverse the causality there.
We've talked about this; I had a very different experience than you--no honeymoon.
But to add something else. It required so much moral compromise of the people who are in it. It's so tragic, and I don't blame them. How can any individual fight those systemic forces? Even the organizations that claim to do so ... don't seem to be effective. And we both left because of the compromise it required of us per our students and teaching.
Thanks, Jason. I'm not minimizing your experience. And I think what you experienced, and what I did in a lesser measure, is generalizable to a degree. But there are still people charting courses within the system, and I'm glad that Leslie is able to help some of them.
My own reasons for leaving, as you know, were complex. If there hadn't been family reasons, it's possible that I'd still be a gadfly from within academe. My "why" hadn't eroded completely by the end. Even so, every opportunity that I've had to wade back in has been fraught, so it's possible that I ought to make peace with being gone for good.
As someone who recently finished graduate school (well, almost three years ago, so I guess not too recently) and still very much in academia, it’s comforting to know there are folks like Leslie out there following their own path while still helping out academic writers. Thanks for this great conversation Joshua and Leslie! 👏🏻
I’m happily managing a university writing center. I had about a decade of writing center experience by the time I graduated, so it was a way for me to stay home (if that makes sense). I realized very early in grad school I didn’t want to pursue research in my field, and I spent a few years adjuncting, so there was only one path left for me! But I think it’s so important for academics to know there’s other options out there!
Great interview. I just worked on my first developmental editing manuscript the other day and after SO much copy editing, it struck me that this was easy for me. It’s a learned skill, and a valuable one — and better than being a damn adjunct working for the privilege of continuing to dabble in their field, I guess. So inspiring to read about how you navigated this transition! Thanks for sharing!
I don't know why, but I found this interview to be very heartwarming. Something about Leslie's experience exudes the empathy that is lacking in academia.
Glad it landed that way, Jason. I found it heartening, too, to know that others were struggling to find purpose in industry pathways. I'm glad that more of these alternative spaces for intellectual conversation are emerging, and that some of them can even enrich ongoing scholarship. Leslie shows that we don't have to cast academe as an evil empire just because we've left it.
Well ... I left it because it was an evil empire ... Reverse the causality there.
We've talked about this; I had a very different experience than you--no honeymoon.
But to add something else. It required so much moral compromise of the people who are in it. It's so tragic, and I don't blame them. How can any individual fight those systemic forces? Even the organizations that claim to do so ... don't seem to be effective. And we both left because of the compromise it required of us per our students and teaching.
Thanks, Jason. I'm not minimizing your experience. And I think what you experienced, and what I did in a lesser measure, is generalizable to a degree. But there are still people charting courses within the system, and I'm glad that Leslie is able to help some of them.
My own reasons for leaving, as you know, were complex. If there hadn't been family reasons, it's possible that I'd still be a gadfly from within academe. My "why" hadn't eroded completely by the end. Even so, every opportunity that I've had to wade back in has been fraught, so it's possible that I ought to make peace with being gone for good.
I agree.
As someone who recently finished graduate school (well, almost three years ago, so I guess not too recently) and still very much in academia, it’s comforting to know there are folks like Leslie out there following their own path while still helping out academic writers. Thanks for this great conversation Joshua and Leslie! 👏🏻
Thanks, Jacob! Are you on the tenure track somewhere, or still surviving in adjunct/postdoc land?
I’m happily managing a university writing center. I had about a decade of writing center experience by the time I graduated, so it was a way for me to stay home (if that makes sense). I realized very early in grad school I didn’t want to pursue research in my field, and I spent a few years adjuncting, so there was only one path left for me! But I think it’s so important for academics to know there’s other options out there!
Great interview. I just worked on my first developmental editing manuscript the other day and after SO much copy editing, it struck me that this was easy for me. It’s a learned skill, and a valuable one — and better than being a damn adjunct working for the privilege of continuing to dabble in their field, I guess. So inspiring to read about how you navigated this transition! Thanks for sharing!
Great to hear that this conversation resonated! All the best to you, Leah :)