(no subject)

GSA Office Hour: Mostly wrote emails, then had a sit-down with the VP Ext to discuss how to deal with international student associations, which are classified as "cultural/ethnic" organizations. Currently they run under the same aegis as the undergrad orgs, which they're not. However, the GSA has a budget cut, so we won't be able to offer them any reimbursement. The VP Ext and I are gonna try to talk to the new Provost of External Affairs. Who is conveniently the husband of the new professor in my department.

Office Hours: I didn't do very much. Probably should have.

I moseyed over to the Special Collections to acquaint myself with the new Eaton librarian, because I could. She was on her way out to the Asian American SF panel anyway so we moseyed over together.

Asian American SF Panel: Well..... that was..... interesting, considering two of the four panelists were NOT science fiction readers. They were all Asian Americanists, and it's very reflected in their analysis. The moderator and the guy who didn't come in with a prepared statement were the SF fans (the moderator is, impressively, working his way through as many YA novels as possible). Some quick takeaways before my laptop died:

- two types of As Am writing: the ones which are about specific narratives (intergenerational conflict, war trauma), and the deracialized ones which try to be move away from the narratives.
- Asian American literature that talk about being the Other, or the Otherness of parents, are very science fictional, because aliens
- Ted Chiang's stories are super Asian American even though he specifically says his stories aren't about that.
- A lot of Asian American literature is science fictional because of how they deal with the body, and self.

So, a good day, professionally, if alienating personally.

Back to work. Today's a long day.