As a graduate student in history, I do a great deal of reading. There is not a moment that I can think of, in fact, over the past two years that I have not had fewer than three books to read at a given time. It helps that I like to read (and it doesn't hurt that I like history), but sometimes I yearn for a book to read simply for pleasure. This has its drawbacks, though, because-- as John will tell you-- I tend to inhale books. (Not literally, of course; I don't want you walking away from this thinking that I've swallowed a book and am now in the ER.) And inevitably, after I've devoured a book, I feel reader's remorse. (It's a lot like buyer's remorse, only with more reading and less spending.) Over the years, I've decided that I can either quit reading for pleasure, cold turkey, or I can feed my habit. So, if you know of any good books, please feel free to post the titles here. In exchange, I will tell you that my most recent book-inhalation victim-- Ruth Reichl's latest book, Garlic and Sapphires-- was excellent.

Today I put the finishing touches on the final paper for my "Women in South Asian History" class and with that, I bring another semester to a close. For those of you who don't already know, I won't be taking classes much longer. No, Dorothy, we're not moving back to Kansas quite yet! After speaking with the graduate coordinator for the History Department, I found that I only have one more semester of graduate seminars to take to fulfill my requirements. Then it's on to my dissertation. For now, I'm going to take a weekend off, then dive back into research on Monday morning. I've attached a photo to give you an idea of what my office looks like after I'm done writing a 20 page paper!

Every now and again, in polite conversation, I use the wrong words. I know what I intend to say, but sadly, it doesn't come out correctly. For example: over the last several weeks, I have proclaimed loudly to be "ravishing." What I intended to indicate to my audience was that I was extremely hungry. However, for those of you who know the definition of "ravishing," I was actually expressing something quite different. What I meant to say was "ravenous." Thankfully, John was the only one who heard it (that I know of), but who knows how many times I've said that over my lifetime!

Soon, this is where you'll be able to get updates on myself, John, the cat clan, and home improvement projects. Maybe I'll include photos or a recipe now and then, if I feel motivated. Stay tuned!

Just so you know, this is where I'll be putting updates on my research. This summer I'm finishing my MA paper, so you'll get to read all about the Baldwin Collection of Children's Literature here at UF. After that, I'll start putting things up about my PhD research. Watch this site!

Every semester, without fail, several of my students plagiarize on their term papers. I've done everything I can to deter them from doing it. I've even started out the last few semesters with my "seventh circle of hell" speech: on the first day of class, I tell them that there is a place reserved somewhere in the seventh circle of hell for students who plagiarize and think they can get away with it. It doesn't seem to matter, they do it anyway. And this semester was no exception: I had three students plagiarize on their papers. At the end of the paper, where the big "F" goes, I write something like "if you can find it on the internet, odds are I can, too." I have to say, though, there's a huge temptation to use the classic "Billy Madison" line: "You are awarded no points and may God have mercy on your soul."

For those of you who are students writing papers, I would highly recommend working on your "Works Cited" page ahead of time. It always takes a lot longer than you think and inevitably you find yourself sitting at your computer at midnight, pulling out your hair while you balance a three-inch hardbound copy of the Chicago Manual of Style on your knee... at least, I do.