I’m sure that many of my readers, especially those with their own blogs, will be interested to read what you come up with.

Academic feminists backed away from “patriarchy” when it became a buzzword used by non-academic feminists, who frequently used it in lazy and non-descriptive ways (although not in all cases.) I’ve never seen a scholar use that term in a lazy fashion–most of the people who use it (like you) have a darn good reason for it.

THE, thanks for your thoughts. I think you and other grad students should see blogs as a tool for community-building AND career-building. If you’re a thoughtful commenter on other people’s blogs and a gracious host at yours, how would that be a bad thing for you? (I think everyone–grad students, junior scholars, adjuncts, and senior faculty alike) should consider how behaving in the reverse (being a jerk on other people’s blogs and writing an obnoxious blog) will work in their lives and careers, too. I’ve observed recently that if someone’s a jerk, not only do I not want them commenting on my blog, but I also think that most scholars wouldn’t want them as colleagues.

What I mean to say is that blogging is a diversion and it gives me a sense of belonging. Although if I were to start a new blog under my real name, and address research and teaching in more detail than I can under a pseudonym, perhaps that might indeed improve my writing. Just have to see.