Thursday, February 19, 2009

Possibility

Something got me thinking of one of my favorite E. Dickinson poems:

I dwell in Possibility --
A fairer House than Prose --
More numerous of Windows --
Superior -- for Doors --

Of Chambers as the Cedars --
Impregnable of Eye --
And for an Everlasting Roof
The Gambrels of the Sky --

Of Visitors -- the fairest --
For Occupation -- This --
The spreading wide of narrow Hands
To gather Paradise --

Things are going better. I hacked out 4 diffuse ideas of PhD research project for overachieving potential graduate adviser, and jotted down a very frank, cut to the chase sort of email. Haven't sent it yet (i'm going to sleep on it), but I think I might tomorrow. It's sort of refreshing and liberating to name the game and the positions of the players, instead of pretending we're not playing it. This whole thing reminds me of the phrase "How do porcupines mate? Very carefully". Maybe I'm being a little cocky, but I think I'm in a position where I can afford it, and it might make things simpler for everyone. If he doesn't want to take a gamble on me, because he's new, with a small lab and I'm not a sure bet and I have some unusual skill sets and interests, then I'm not going to hold it against him, and if I send him this email, he'll know it. And, there are plenty of other places very interested in me (I got my first official offer of admissions today!)

Time to go to sleep, so I can get up in the morning, pack and head to my next interview. Wheeeeee!!!

1 comment:

Karina said...

Sounds like a pretty good decision to me. I would've been annoyed if a prospective advisor asked me to rank my schools, especially over email. I feel like that's an easier question to broach in person. Hope your interviews are going well!