Perhaps of interest. Victoria Dutchman-Smith, E.T.A. Hoffmann and Alcohol: Biography, Reception and Art(Maney Publications, forthcoming 2009). Ernst Hoffmann, 1776-1822. On Thu, Mar 5, 2009 at 1:48 PM, Crowley, John <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > Michael, > > > > I concur with the wisdom already expressed on this point. What > you are missing is this: Alcohol and Addiction Studies does NOT share the > respectability of what might be called Diversity Studies, the political > correctness of which more or less guarantees space at professional > conferences and in hiring pools. Nor does our field qualify as “Identity > Scholarship,” another approved approach. During the heyday of DIONYSOS, > the MLA consistently rejected any and all proposed panels in A&AS; perhaps > it still does. Certainly I would not advise a new PhD in English to come > out nakedly and solely in our field. It’s prudent to regard doing A&AS – > at least in an English department -- as a post-tenure luxury. The reasons > for this situation are well worth considering, but they are, unfortunately, > among those things in academe (and elsewhere) currently filed under “mum’s > the word”: not to be spoken of out loud in public, candor being potentially > hazardous to one’s professional health. For the sake of younger scholars > and of our field, I sincerely hope I’ve gone a little paranoid in these > remarks, that I’ve bleakly overstated the case. I welcome contrary > testimony. > > > > John W. Crowley > > > ------------------------------ > > *From:* Alcohol and Drugs History Society [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > *On Behalf Of *Michael Carolan > *Sent:* Tuesday, March 03, 2009 9:37 AM > > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Re: literary drinking > > > > As a new member of the forum (and, believe it or not, a former student of > Professor Wedge’s), I appreciate all the recommendations of creative work in > here. I wanted to share what a veteran professor had to say about the field > in a professional recommendation he wrote for me recently after I developed > addiction studies courses at UMass: > > > > “Addiction is an area of study not unlike African American studies or > Native American studies, and possibly all the more relevant not least > because it not yet an established area of study.” > > > > As I enter the severely shrunken academic job market, I am left wondering > why all I see are openings for minority, third world, gay and lesbian > studies but none for alcohol, mental illness, and/or addiction? Am I missing > something? > > > > With deep respect, > > Michael Carolan > > University of Massachusetts-Amherst > > > ------------------------------ > > *From:* Alcohol and Drugs History Society [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > *On Behalf Of *David Fahey > *Sent:* Saturday, February 28, 2009 1:19 PM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Re: literary drinking > > > *[Personal papers of George Wedge]* > > > > *Database:* > > University of Kansas Libraries > > *Main Author:* > > Wedge, George F.<http://catalog.lib.ku.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?SC=Author&SEQ=20090228121723&PID=nZT-3bbxeXgav16B8dUssxr0H2ka&SA=Wedge,+George++F.> > > *Title:* > > [Personal papers of George Wedge] > > *Linked Resources:* > > Finding aid <http://ead.diglib.ku.edu/xml/ksrl.ua.wedgegeorge.html> > > *Publisher:* > > 1958-1993. > > *Format:* > > Archival/Manuscript Material > > *Description:* > > 12 linear ft. > > * * > > > > *Indexes:* > > Finding aid available on the Internet. > > *General Notes:* > > Wedge taught English at the University of Kansas from 1958-1993. This > collection consists of writings, manuscripts, research, and correspondence. > > > > Margaret Wedge; gift; 2003. > > * * > > > ------------------------------ > > > > > > > > *Location <http://catalog.lib.ku.edu/help/location.htm>:* > > Spencer Library (University Archives) > > *Call Number <http://catalog.lib.ku.edu/help/callnum.htm>:* > > PP 408<http://catalog.lib.ku.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?SC=CallNumber&SEQ=20090228121723&PID=nZT-3bbxeXgav16B8dUssxr0H2ka&SA=PP+408> > > *Status <http://catalog.lib.ku.edu/help/status.htm>:* > > Item details not available > > > > On Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 11:11 AM, Crowley, John < > [log in to unmask]> wrote: > > There is, of course, no shortage of examples of alcoholic characters and > alcoholic behavior in twentieth-century American literature. Just look > into the recent wave of memoirs. One early success, Mary Karr's THE > LIAR'S CLUB, is everywhere redolent of her father's whiskey breath. The > one I most admire and the one I've taught most often is DRINKING: A LOVE > STORY by the late Caroline Knapp (who died much too young, but not from > drinking after all). > > This topic reminds me of George Wedge (U of Kansas), one of the true > founders of Alcohol and Addiction Studies within the "discipline" of > English. For many years he compiled a bibliography of drinking/drunken > writers and their stories. (I hope it's gone into the Kansas library.) > Unfortunately, George never published very much of what he knew; but all > of us owe him an intellectual debt. > > Toward the end of his life, George was thinking about the idea that AA > had possibly distorted the early scholarship in the field (including, > for instance, mine!): by subtly introducing an unduly righteous tone > toward unregenerate alcoholic authors as well as the possibly rigid > notion that sobriety goes with superior literary production, in terms of > quantity and quality too. Perhaps a dubious idea; for some writers > (e.g. Styron) report the virtual necessity of alcohol in their literary > inspiration. Simply denial? Just an excuse? Maybe not? That's the > direction George would have taken. Any fellow travelers? (I once tried > out this approach in a short piece on James Whitcomb Riley, all of whose > best poetry was written under the influence and none of whose sober > poetry has ever been considered worth a damn.) > > John W. Crowley, U of Alabama > > > > > -- > David M. Fahey > Professor of History > Miami University > Oxford, Ohio 45056 > USA > -- David M. Fahey Professor of History Miami University Oxford, Ohio 45056 USA