Michael Livingston

Starting the Sequel

2008 | Filed Under Fiction | 6 Comments

So I took the past two days off from official work — I’m on vacation, right? — in order to make some real headway on my next novel. I’m now about 5% into it (as seen in the progress meter at left), and I have to say it’s been an interesting experience so far.
I’ve [...]

Eighty-six years ago tomorrow — well, techinically today on Cairo time, where it’s already 26 November — Howard Carter struck a candle through a tiny hole in an ancient wall and stared by its flickering light at perhaps the greatest buried treasure discovered in modern history. Lord Carnarvon, who’d financed his dig in the [...]

I have no class.
At least not this week. It’s Thanksgiving Furlough (that’s “Break” to you and me) here at The Citadel, which means a quiet five days overall. I’m very glad for it, being tired out and far behind on several projects.
On the plus side, this weekend has been decently productive, which I [...]

I’ve got the end-of-semester crunch soon, and an academic book that very much needs as much of my attention as I can manage in the coming months, but I’m still trying to get a bit of space here and there for research on my next fiction book (while crossing fingers that the first one sells, [...]

Inspector Clouseau

2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 2 Comments

I needed a dose of Pink Panther just now.
Admit it. You did, too.

I love almost everything about teaching.
Almost.
What I don’t like — what will screw up my sleep habits for weeks after it happens — is handling what we here at The Citadel call “HVs”: Honor Violations. In my academic neck of the woods that means plagiarism and lying (which are really the same thing in [...]

I was fortunate to meet a clever fellow in graduate school named Kevin Cryderman. Very clever. Dauntingly clever, in fact.
And then I found out he’s also a terrific musician and a hell of a nice guy (the show-off).
Here he is singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” to the tune of Dylan’s “The Times They Are [...]

A Grade Weekend

2008 | Filed Under Academics | 2 Comments

Not a Grade-A weekend, mind you. No, no. A weekend devoted to grading.
Insert cheering here.
Especially sad is that it’s Homecoming hereabouts. I’d much prefer enjoying the festivities than whipping out the red pen (and my students would probably be happier, too!). Not that I can enjoy too many of the festivities: [...]

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