Comments on: Tales From the Pit, part deux: Classy Claude files his report on AHA 2009

By: AHA report: Put on a giant smiley-face mask, if you have to : Historiann : History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:44:46 +0000

[...] I’m waiting for the exclusive report from Classy Claude to be filed from this year’s meeting of the American Historical Association, I thought [...]

By: Checking in on the AHA-hahahahaha? (Lolsob.) : Historiann : History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:55:29 +0000

[...] in common today with the High Plains Sub-Zero Freezer we’re locked in until the weekend. Classy Claude will be filing a first-person report later this weekend, if he can peel himself off the beach, [...]

By: Historiann

Historiann — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:26:49 +0000

Your outfit sounds great–I would have made the same decision. Black suits are very practical in terms of stain-resistance (or disguising)–but they do become a kind of uniform. I don’t know why anyone would go to AHA in anything more than 1-inch heels, because if you’re interviewing you’re doing a lot of standing around (and there aren’t that many places to sit, anyway.)

By: Another Damned Medievalist

Another Damned Medievalist — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:12:19 +0000

Well … I have to say I brought my black suit and lovely silk blouse (it’s a good suit, but in the classic sense rather than the particularly fashionable one — suitable to someone my age, though!) and I went with something else — power boots, a flared skirt, and a sweater-y tunic that I’ve worn to talks and taught in. Most of the women interviewees I saw were wearing black or grey suits (some with the most inappropriate shoes ever — black patent leather t-straps with 4″ spiky heels are NOT a good choice for an interview, IMO), and I had run my outfit past a friend who is tenured and has run several searches. But now I’m worrying!

By: Historiann

Historiann — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:40:38 +0000

Well, I would say the beauty and fashion sense of historians definitely falls on the “bad” side of the discipline. (But, maybe because we’re used to being turned down for dates, we’re very friendly, in the “loveable loser” mode!)

By: steveeboy

steveeboy — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:39:02 +0000

remember, I am a vet of a US History PhD program, several major conferences and many minor ones…

I know the good and bad of the discipline!

By: Historiann

Historiann — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:23:31 +0000

Eeeew, Steveeboy–if you knew what most historians look like (Historiann and her commenter excepted, natch!) you wouldn’t be so eager to contemplate conference sex. GayProf (see my blog roll at left) had a funny post a few months ago after the American Studies Association about conference sex. (Search ASA and you’ll find it, I’m sure–I also linked to it in a post here, so you might find it at Historiann.com).

By: steveeboy

steveeboy — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:18:10 +0000

so, is there a blog that just has stories about all the wild/anonymous AHA hook ups?

would that be more or less demoralizing?

By: Historiann

Historiann — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:06:08 +0000

Surely you’re not surprised, JJO–saying anything at the AHA (in job interviews, on panels) is a sure career-ender! There’s no way everything at AHA won’t end badly. It’s best to avoid the whole scene, I’ve found. If you ever have the urge to attend the conference again, I suggest taking a few valium and lying down until the urge passes.

By: JJO

JJO — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:00:23 +0000

Damn. I knew it! So much for the Princeton job. I could just tell that his take away from the whole conference would be “I must make sure to destroy that one guy who said that thing at the end of that one panel I was on.”