Before, I was disappointed. Now I'm Mind-broilingly Enraged.

[wolven7]

As previously noted, I was rejected by Michigan State University, because "it really does not seem like a good fit."

Today I receive the following call for papers, in my e-mail:

'The Association for the Study of Esotericism is seeking just a few more articles to complete the next volume in the series Studies in Esotericism, to be entitled Esotericism, Religion, and Nature. The collection will be published by MSU Press in late 2009 / early 2010.'

I want EIGHT cigarettes. RIGHT NOW.

Comments

[plantyhamchuk.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear this.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I'm going to e-mail the person in charge of the publishing effort. We'll see about these shenanigans.

OT

[plantyhamchuk.livejournal.com]

oh god(s), his grandmother died...

Re: OT

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Yeah... This is going to have an impact, I'm pretty damn sure.

[zombiebear.livejournal.com]

really?

that's crap.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm thinking, too.

[blumuun.livejournal.com]

i am sorry.

...don't smoke though!...

[wolven.livejournal.com]

So far so good...

[momentai.livejournal.com]

The office that governs their PHD programs may not and is most likely not connected to the office that administers their publishing house. Even if they are, the school's desire and ability to support certain Phd programs is mutually exclusive from the school's vision of trying to offer an outlet to various forms of study and the musings of those studies, regardless of if the school has any faculty who are directly involved in those studies.

Just saying that just b/c someone there feels like publishing journals on a particular subject doesn't mean there are other people who feel like the research in those journals would be useful or advantageous to the school's academic legacy which means they were not necessarily trying to mislead you or play word games. So, try not to be too hard on MSU or yourself.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

the school's desire and ability to support certain Phd programs is mutually exclusive from the school's vision of trying to offer an outlet to various forms of study and the musings of those studies,

No. These things are directly connected, in terms of provost funding and university image. Publishing, even moreso as that is THE public face of a university. They are connected, even if they perhaps Shouldn't be.

[kitsuchan.livejournal.com]

The publishing house and the department are not clearly linked. At least, UW press doesn't really coordinate or anything with any of the departments. It's possible that someone in the Association for the Study of Esotericism has a connection with MSU, but it's also possible that whoever is editing the volume has some other reason for going to MSU's printing house.

"Not a good fit" means that either there's no professor there that wants a grad student doing your area of research. That the volume will be published through MSU only sugggests that there might be a professor whose area overlaps with yours. If there is such a professor there, either they don't want you for some reason, or they already have too many grad students. I would try and figure out who's editing the volume, and apply to whatever school they're at.

Also, you should submit something-- if it gets accepted, it'll help you get into a program.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Oh I'm definitely submitting to the anthology. My third chapter of my thesis is Perfect for this very thing, with a few modifications. It simply irks.

[kitsuchan.livejournal.com]

*nod* I would be really irked, too. But do remember that just because their press is publishing the anthology doesn't necessarily mean that the school itself has a professor who covers that area. If it turns out that they do, then it's time for irkage.

Anyway, it's frustrating regardless. But you'll find a good program eventually. I feel pretty confident about that.