And a taste of what 2024 has in store. It is hard to start this letter at the end of last year, because the story I’ve been telling on begins in December, 2021, when I resigned a tenured faculty position in Iowa and moved with my family to central Pennsylvania. That was a time filled with hope and not a little fear, because I had no other job in hand. The plan was to play a different role in my family, to be there for the kids at the end of the school day, to be present throughout the week, rather than prepping for class every night and disappearing with a stack of papers to grade every other weekend.
An intentional allusion! And a common reference for grief. Mark Doty might reference it in his stunning memoir Heaven’s Coast. So glad to call you friend and colleague, David.
I’ve got a weird and ultimately successful academic-exit story I’d love to share in an interview with you! I’m a fan. Keep following your gut. It’s inspiring.
I've seen a lot of advice for would-be corporate writers to write in "plain English," which as far as I can tell is just good and experienced English composition... I think it says a lot about the state of employment that they wouldn't snap up liberal arts PhDs for those writing roles.
Indeed. It has to come by a different name to be valued in industry. I was rather shocked when one of the leading coaches for transitioning PhDs replied to a comment I made about how much more satisfying the old ROI of education was -- the lifelong benefits, compared to the short-term employability -- by saying that he had a hard time buying into services that offered you a vague promise of being a "better person." That really isn't it at all, and his view reflected the scorn with which more applied disciplines and industry types view the humanities.
My own feeling is that much of this could be solved by more robust internship programs. There is lifelong benefit to studying the humanities in the traditional way, it's just not always predictable or easily mapped onto job ads. But someone with that training (like Elissa Gurman, one of my interview guests, or Larry McGrath) often shines in an environment that requires clear communication and effective teaching. For Elissa, a paid internship opened that door at age 30. There's no reason the traditional liberal arts couldn't coexist with a more strategic internship requirement to get through the first industry door. After that, there's no further rationale required -- each position qualifies you for the next. All of the mid-career PhDs I've interviewed say the same thing. Making the first leap from academe to a corporate role is the hardest. Once you're in, the next transition often reveals itself. Much luck to you on that journey!
I hear that rejection of niche. I'm having a problem with it in my job search, because everyone advocates being niche in the corporate world, but doing so forces me to divest myself of 2/3 of my skills for any given role. Skills that they say they want, but that relating them requires me to look more academic, which has been the scarlet letter for me. I had an uncommonly varied path as an academic, but I'd say the same push to niche-ness applies even for the straight-line academics.
"I’m facing the future with more anticipation than fear." Excellent news: I'm really pleased for you. I think you're right about not going into a niche. Niches have their place, and in theory are probably the best way of making money. But -- and I've been thinking about this a lot -- you have to do the work, and be true to yourself.
As for academics who "know" what needs to be done: I feel the same way about Education secretaries, and so-called celebrities who know exactly what needs to be done without ever venturing into an ordianary school.
As for grief, I've discovered (several times) that it never really goes away, and every so often it taps you on the shoulder and says, "Hey! How are you doing? Remember me?" I'm being slightly flippant, but it has to be acknowledged. And I discovered, when I wrote about my father's passing, my mother's passing, and my grandfather's passing, that writing about such things seems to help other people too, it's not just self-indulgent cr*p.
I very much enjoy your essays, Josh. They are very genuine and heartfelt. Should you ever wish to interview me or collaborate in some other way I would consider it an honour.
Terry beat me to my first comment, which I'll just affirm,
As for academics who "know" what needs to be done: I feel the same way about Education secretaries, and so-called celebrities who know exactly what needs to be done without ever venturing into an ordianary school.
It happens in pedagogy/andragogy too, where I'd just want to scream into the void about teaching advice that assumes that students *can* read but just choose not to. And this advice always comes from elite universities, which are generally stuffed with their own graduates who themselves come from elite schools. There's such a bifurcation that it might shock those not in the know to see that pedagogy texts started splitting into "university" vs. "community college," and offering notably different research and recommendations.
Thanks, Jason. On a sort of related matter, one of the worst things ever, IMO, in the UK was the drive to turn colleges into universities and non-academic students into graduates. Perhaps it worked in some cases, but I get the feeling it turned some first rate colleges into second rate universities, and prevented lots of non-academic students, or possibly late developers, from following their true vocation. To my mind there is a lot of snobbery involved.
In a tale of unintentional "one upsmanship" (writing that word because it's appropriate and looks funny), US has a rash of ridiculous policies. No homework, because it's racist and classist. No grades lower than 50%, so that submitting some assignments will earn a passing grade. And those are just the one's I've seen locally that are also national trends.
Our society simultaneously wants good education, but wants it nearly for free (exploitation of educators), and wants the diploma, the piece of paper, regardless of actual ability. Only the elite universities and colleges follow the traditional path, which has lead to a social and cultural bifurcation.
Personally, it was maddening to try to teach students who were not expecting to be held accountable, and didn't have the skills to cope. My telling them that only 1 in 4 students graduated and that I was trying to help see them beat the odds didn't help.
I had a better experience at a community college twenty years ago. I really enjoyed teaching non-traditional students (even if it was a little awkward that they were older than me -- I was 24). And aside from one guy who missed a class because he was in jail, I found those students reasonably motivated and enjoyable to work with. A lot of that had to do with the departmental culture, which at that particular institution (Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, CO) set high standards and presented a united front in reinforcing them. It only takes a few teachers or administrators to weaken the institutional culture, and once it's eroded, it's nearly impossible to build back.
I quoted from a booik called One Upmanship in a post sceduled for 2pm I think!
We have the same sort of thing in the UK, though possibly not to the same extent. But the sort of hypocrisy you allude to is very much in evidence. I once reduced a representative from the Department for Education to silence at a conference, in the Q & A session, when I said 'All the examples you've cited, and cite in the latest DfE publication, about excellent practice that achieves results are all of schools that ignored the DfE's instructions and guidelines. How come?" It was like I'd farted in public.
Your inability to narrow your focus resonates with me. All of the topics that you mentioned sound fascinating. But yeah: specialize, find a niche, monetize - that's tough for those of us with broad interests and wide ranging curiosity. Love those rabbit holes. But they don't pay.
This guy Dan Blank is publicist-adjacent - he focuses on one-to-one relationships between creator and consumer, and on the rewards of community. I like his Substack and just quoted you and recommended yours to him. You and he align pretty well, I think. He has managed to monetize his practice without narrowing his philosophy.
Josh, really enjoying your work so please keep it up. I am leaving my military career this summer after 24 years in uniform. It is a big transition and I am also looking to discover what direction life takes. My kids are older (college and high school) so my role as father is changing a little. My wife has started working full time after taking care of our kids and working from home during all the years we moved so much due to my career. So my role as a husband is shifting some also to being more present and helping around the house more. And of course, Substack came into my life this past fall. I started out very niche in my writing and I am enjoying it at the moment but one of the things I will be looking at this coming year is if I want to remain so niche or allow myself to branch out a bit.
Keep writing, keep sharing, keep building community. I am here for it.
Thank you, Matthew. My sense from friends and family is that military service has a lot in common with academic service. Both are callings, and it can take a while to find your bearings on the other side. Wishing you all the best for your transition!
I really enjoy your posts and Inner Life. I'm also glad you're going to focus on what you want to write, rather than cram it into a niche. Metrics, when applied to art, create content. We have enough content, not enough art, in my opinion.
The problem, obviously, comes from making a living. That's a tension that I also struggle with greatly, but I resolved it by not doing what I want for a living so that I can do whatever I want artistically. It's a trade off, but it reduces the pressure of having to love my job or turn what I love into commerce.
That said, you have much more talent than I and will very likely find away to both write what you're passionate about and make a living doing so.
Grief and its aftermath remain deep in me after the death of my son who died at age 46. I have written a lyrical and unusually formatted brief essay about his loss, a prayer in a larger sense, but I am having great difficulty placing it and have revised it now some 15 times and believe it is now ready. It is out at one literary magazine that has published me previously. Earlier versions, quite moving I was told by one here on Substack, but summarily still rejected by that one and some five or six others, losing count, but still trying. With love and hope to you, Josh, on your journey and I join you in hope for resilience. And my heartfelt thanks for our collaboration on Inner Life.
Thank you, Mary -- grief is indeed one of our bonds. I cannot fathom the depth of yours, and so I'll avoid the inexact comparisons that Strayed describes. But I do appreciate your writing about it.
Oh... I am suffering garden and greenhouse envy here! That is something I grieve, post-downsizing. ENJOY! I do not have a natural greenthumb, but I grew tomatoes and lettuce and three kids of berries and so much more. It is a most healing thing! I look forward to reading about it here :)
I've given up having expectations and years and setting resolutions. But it has really hit me in this past week, as I was cooking on Christmas Eve, and really each morning on awakening: What a wonderful year 2023 has been. I've let that feeling of gratitude for what has been wash over me and hold me up, and it's been very good. Shoring up for whatever comes, and grateful.
Thank you for what you bring to this right here! Peace--
Thanks, Alison! Gardening essays never really rose to the top last year, other than my fence building project, but I do intend to do more food writing soon. I have an idea based on my discovery of a recipe for fermented hot sauce...and there is a deep archive here from my parents, who have always lived a semi-subsistence lifestyle. In fact, gardening is one of those surprising discoveries at the end of my memoir, when I tended my first garden in Iowa and thereby broke the cycle of escapism that defined my 20s. A friend of mine says that gardening doesn't make much sense until about age 30, and I think there's something to that -- not very convenient to be tied down with weeding and watering and harvesting when you're backpacking around Europe as a youngster (or spending the summer in the wilderness or fighting fires, as I once did). But when one is ready to feel rooted, there's nothing like growing things to connect you to your home.
I love this post and the insights behind it. I find myself unable to fit into a mold either, though I keep trying, and as always, you help me see another way to approach it all. I’m beyond grateful for all the advice and companionship you’ve provided in these pages and one-on-one. 😊
Thank you for this insightful piece. Ah, grief. The gift that keeps on giving. And, shout out for commenting on how men are almost universally un-allowed to, well, have any emotions at all. I look forward to more of your work. I'm sorry for all your loss.
Your post and your references to grief made me think of the Inferno's opening lines:
"Midway upon the journey of our life
I found myself within a forest dark,
For the straightforward pathway had been lost."
I'm glad that you're here on Substack and look forward to reading whatever you want to write. Put plainly, I'm a fan!
An intentional allusion! And a common reference for grief. Mark Doty might reference it in his stunning memoir Heaven’s Coast. So glad to call you friend and colleague, David.
One of my favorite quotes!
I’ve got a weird and ultimately successful academic-exit story I’d love to share in an interview with you! I’m a fan. Keep following your gut. It’s inspiring.
Thank you Lindsay! Let’s talk 😊
I, for one, would be interested in this interview!
Side topic.
I've seen a lot of advice for would-be corporate writers to write in "plain English," which as far as I can tell is just good and experienced English composition... I think it says a lot about the state of employment that they wouldn't snap up liberal arts PhDs for those writing roles.
Indeed. It has to come by a different name to be valued in industry. I was rather shocked when one of the leading coaches for transitioning PhDs replied to a comment I made about how much more satisfying the old ROI of education was -- the lifelong benefits, compared to the short-term employability -- by saying that he had a hard time buying into services that offered you a vague promise of being a "better person." That really isn't it at all, and his view reflected the scorn with which more applied disciplines and industry types view the humanities.
My own feeling is that much of this could be solved by more robust internship programs. There is lifelong benefit to studying the humanities in the traditional way, it's just not always predictable or easily mapped onto job ads. But someone with that training (like Elissa Gurman, one of my interview guests, or Larry McGrath) often shines in an environment that requires clear communication and effective teaching. For Elissa, a paid internship opened that door at age 30. There's no reason the traditional liberal arts couldn't coexist with a more strategic internship requirement to get through the first industry door. After that, there's no further rationale required -- each position qualifies you for the next. All of the mid-career PhDs I've interviewed say the same thing. Making the first leap from academe to a corporate role is the hardest. Once you're in, the next transition often reveals itself. Much luck to you on that journey!
Josh,
I hear that rejection of niche. I'm having a problem with it in my job search, because everyone advocates being niche in the corporate world, but doing so forces me to divest myself of 2/3 of my skills for any given role. Skills that they say they want, but that relating them requires me to look more academic, which has been the scarlet letter for me. I had an uncommonly varied path as an academic, but I'd say the same push to niche-ness applies even for the straight-line academics.
"I’m facing the future with more anticipation than fear." Excellent news: I'm really pleased for you. I think you're right about not going into a niche. Niches have their place, and in theory are probably the best way of making money. But -- and I've been thinking about this a lot -- you have to do the work, and be true to yourself.
As for academics who "know" what needs to be done: I feel the same way about Education secretaries, and so-called celebrities who know exactly what needs to be done without ever venturing into an ordianary school.
As for grief, I've discovered (several times) that it never really goes away, and every so often it taps you on the shoulder and says, "Hey! How are you doing? Remember me?" I'm being slightly flippant, but it has to be acknowledged. And I discovered, when I wrote about my father's passing, my mother's passing, and my grandfather's passing, that writing about such things seems to help other people too, it's not just self-indulgent cr*p.
I very much enjoy your essays, Josh. They are very genuine and heartfelt. Should you ever wish to interview me or collaborate in some other way I would consider it an honour.
Thanks, Terry. I’m not always good at keeping in touch, but I enjoy your series, too!
Thank you, Sir!
Terry beat me to my first comment, which I'll just affirm,
As for academics who "know" what needs to be done: I feel the same way about Education secretaries, and so-called celebrities who know exactly what needs to be done without ever venturing into an ordianary school.
It happens in pedagogy/andragogy too, where I'd just want to scream into the void about teaching advice that assumes that students *can* read but just choose not to. And this advice always comes from elite universities, which are generally stuffed with their own graduates who themselves come from elite schools. There's such a bifurcation that it might shock those not in the know to see that pedagogy texts started splitting into "university" vs. "community college," and offering notably different research and recommendations.
Thanks, Jason. On a sort of related matter, one of the worst things ever, IMO, in the UK was the drive to turn colleges into universities and non-academic students into graduates. Perhaps it worked in some cases, but I get the feeling it turned some first rate colleges into second rate universities, and prevented lots of non-academic students, or possibly late developers, from following their true vocation. To my mind there is a lot of snobbery involved.
In a tale of unintentional "one upsmanship" (writing that word because it's appropriate and looks funny), US has a rash of ridiculous policies. No homework, because it's racist and classist. No grades lower than 50%, so that submitting some assignments will earn a passing grade. And those are just the one's I've seen locally that are also national trends.
Our society simultaneously wants good education, but wants it nearly for free (exploitation of educators), and wants the diploma, the piece of paper, regardless of actual ability. Only the elite universities and colleges follow the traditional path, which has lead to a social and cultural bifurcation.
Personally, it was maddening to try to teach students who were not expecting to be held accountable, and didn't have the skills to cope. My telling them that only 1 in 4 students graduated and that I was trying to help see them beat the odds didn't help.
I had a better experience at a community college twenty years ago. I really enjoyed teaching non-traditional students (even if it was a little awkward that they were older than me -- I was 24). And aside from one guy who missed a class because he was in jail, I found those students reasonably motivated and enjoyable to work with. A lot of that had to do with the departmental culture, which at that particular institution (Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, CO) set high standards and presented a united front in reinforcing them. It only takes a few teachers or administrators to weaken the institutional culture, and once it's eroded, it's nearly impossible to build back.
I quoted from a booik called One Upmanship in a post sceduled for 2pm I think!
We have the same sort of thing in the UK, though possibly not to the same extent. But the sort of hypocrisy you allude to is very much in evidence. I once reduced a representative from the Department for Education to silence at a conference, in the Q & A session, when I said 'All the examples you've cited, and cite in the latest DfE publication, about excellent practice that achieves results are all of schools that ignored the DfE's instructions and guidelines. How come?" It was like I'd farted in public.
😆
Your inability to narrow your focus resonates with me. All of the topics that you mentioned sound fascinating. But yeah: specialize, find a niche, monetize - that's tough for those of us with broad interests and wide ranging curiosity. Love those rabbit holes. But they don't pay.
This guy Dan Blank is publicist-adjacent - he focuses on one-to-one relationships between creator and consumer, and on the rewards of community. I like his Substack and just quoted you and recommended yours to him. You and he align pretty well, I think. He has managed to monetize his practice without narrowing his philosophy.
https://danblank.substack.com/p/clarity-calm-and-craft/comment/46210875
Dan, thanks for the recommendation!
Josh, really enjoying your work so please keep it up. I am leaving my military career this summer after 24 years in uniform. It is a big transition and I am also looking to discover what direction life takes. My kids are older (college and high school) so my role as father is changing a little. My wife has started working full time after taking care of our kids and working from home during all the years we moved so much due to my career. So my role as a husband is shifting some also to being more present and helping around the house more. And of course, Substack came into my life this past fall. I started out very niche in my writing and I am enjoying it at the moment but one of the things I will be looking at this coming year is if I want to remain so niche or allow myself to branch out a bit.
Keep writing, keep sharing, keep building community. I am here for it.
Thank you, Matthew. My sense from friends and family is that military service has a lot in common with academic service. Both are callings, and it can take a while to find your bearings on the other side. Wishing you all the best for your transition!
I really enjoy your posts and Inner Life. I'm also glad you're going to focus on what you want to write, rather than cram it into a niche. Metrics, when applied to art, create content. We have enough content, not enough art, in my opinion.
The problem, obviously, comes from making a living. That's a tension that I also struggle with greatly, but I resolved it by not doing what I want for a living so that I can do whatever I want artistically. It's a trade off, but it reduces the pressure of having to love my job or turn what I love into commerce.
That said, you have much more talent than I and will very likely find away to both write what you're passionate about and make a living doing so.
Thank you, Sean! I'm glad that you're part of my community.
Grief and its aftermath remain deep in me after the death of my son who died at age 46. I have written a lyrical and unusually formatted brief essay about his loss, a prayer in a larger sense, but I am having great difficulty placing it and have revised it now some 15 times and believe it is now ready. It is out at one literary magazine that has published me previously. Earlier versions, quite moving I was told by one here on Substack, but summarily still rejected by that one and some five or six others, losing count, but still trying. With love and hope to you, Josh, on your journey and I join you in hope for resilience. And my heartfelt thanks for our collaboration on Inner Life.
Thank you, Mary -- grief is indeed one of our bonds. I cannot fathom the depth of yours, and so I'll avoid the inexact comparisons that Strayed describes. But I do appreciate your writing about it.
Oh... I am suffering garden and greenhouse envy here! That is something I grieve, post-downsizing. ENJOY! I do not have a natural greenthumb, but I grew tomatoes and lettuce and three kids of berries and so much more. It is a most healing thing! I look forward to reading about it here :)
I've given up having expectations and years and setting resolutions. But it has really hit me in this past week, as I was cooking on Christmas Eve, and really each morning on awakening: What a wonderful year 2023 has been. I've let that feeling of gratitude for what has been wash over me and hold me up, and it's been very good. Shoring up for whatever comes, and grateful.
Thank you for what you bring to this right here! Peace--
Thanks, Alison! Gardening essays never really rose to the top last year, other than my fence building project, but I do intend to do more food writing soon. I have an idea based on my discovery of a recipe for fermented hot sauce...and there is a deep archive here from my parents, who have always lived a semi-subsistence lifestyle. In fact, gardening is one of those surprising discoveries at the end of my memoir, when I tended my first garden in Iowa and thereby broke the cycle of escapism that defined my 20s. A friend of mine says that gardening doesn't make much sense until about age 30, and I think there's something to that -- not very convenient to be tied down with weeding and watering and harvesting when you're backpacking around Europe as a youngster (or spending the summer in the wilderness or fighting fires, as I once did). But when one is ready to feel rooted, there's nothing like growing things to connect you to your home.
I love this post and the insights behind it. I find myself unable to fit into a mold either, though I keep trying, and as always, you help me see another way to approach it all. I’m beyond grateful for all the advice and companionship you’ve provided in these pages and one-on-one. 😊
Glad to have you as a kindred spirit, Liz! Solidarity in our rebellion 😎
Josh, very beautiful piece. It’s been a privilege to be able to read as you navigate this journey- always with grace and eloquence.
Thank you, Sam! I'm proud of what we've built at Inner Life and enjoy being one of your traveling companions in the world of letters.
“No more squeezing myself into other people’s molds. I’ll make it as me or not at all.”
We’re with you my friend 🙏
Honored to be traveling beside you, Dee!
It has been a pleasure to collaborate with you, and to witness your honest, heartfelt, beautiful prose this year.
“I’ll make it as me or not at all.” I love that line. Keeping being you and I’ll keep reading and getting to know you more. Thank you 🙏
Igualmente, Lyle. Really enjoy being in conversation with you.
Thank you for this insightful piece. Ah, grief. The gift that keeps on giving. And, shout out for commenting on how men are almost universally un-allowed to, well, have any emotions at all. I look forward to more of your work. I'm sorry for all your loss.
Thank you! Some of this lies at the heart of my fatherhood memoir, and I'll share more work from that project soon.
I'm looking forward to it.
hello. Just to let you know, I unsubscribed because I'd signed up twice!
😂
I didn't want you to think I'd stormed off!