Great post, Cadell. I just came across this quote from one of my writing workshops, We have to see ourselves as characters in the flow of family story - our ancestors' heroic actions were to save themselves, but also to make us possible, just as all of our writing is for ourselves, and also for the future.... sometimes consciously, sometimes not.
and then I read your piece. You do see yourself as a character in the flow of family story and you write for yourself and for the future. Meanwhile, I'm sorry to hear about the PhD rejection. If you want, I'd be happy to look at the research proposal/statement of intent or whatever they ask for before you send out your next application to the British Layland of graduate schools. May your awesomeness continue!
Thanks lil, I love that quote. I think we do naturally construct narratives of our family history. It is a way for us to imagine our past and contexualize our existence. Really the entire subject of evolutionary anthropology is a collective attempt to re-create the narrative of our species family history. So it makes sense that I would do it on a smaller scale. When I get some answers from the graduate program I'll see if it had anything to do with my proposal. But I doubt it because I had every biological anthropologist in the department read it over in December and give me comments/feedback. They all loved it. Which is part of the reason why I was shocked at getting rejected.