newvoices, columbia current, graduating, the works

so i've made the big leap (i.e., move) to morningside heights, finally. wish i'd have done it sooner. . . but i guess i saved myself a pretty penny. . . it's nice being able to participate more fully in campus life. so far i've taken advantage of living in the neighborhood by attending a reading by Gish Jen, at the suggestion of my English lit professor, Amanda Claybaugh (who is now my favorite professor, ever. really brilliant.). more exciting was a panel discussion with claybaugh, a former favorite professor nicholas dames, and two other english dept professors on "style". . . claybaugh used the opportunity to discuss dreiser's bad style, with her usual wit and good humor. . and was absoultely delightful to listen to. . . and nick dames was great, so was david kurnick. yesterday i attended the kickoff event of a newvoices+azure student journals project jewish journalism conference, which featured a selection from the documentary "Arguing the World"--a film about New York intellectuals of the 1930s--one that focuses on irving kristol, irving howe, daniel bell and nathan glazer. the screening was followed by a panel discussion with harvard's yiddishlit professor ruth wisse, institute of advanced studies sociologist michael walzer, and the film "star" nathan glazer. wisse was by far the most eloquent and interesting .. . glazer was the charming old grandfather. . and michael walzer seemed rather disinterested in the discussion, which turned into something of a heated political debate (commentary vs. dissent--i dont read dissent, i dislike commentary, and i dislike michael walzer even more. i find him pompous and lacking substance, though that is probably very presumptuous of me, but it is my blog after all. . .) subsequent to the event i joined a meeting of the azure magazine editors/staff with editors of various azure student journals. i've contributed to new voices, and to the current (the azure student journal at columbia)--www.columbiacurrent.com--hence my participation at these events. kinda cool that the initial even took place at the center for jewish history--so i had only to take the elevator two flights down after work to participate.
something of a state of panic is setting in as i realize my thesis is due in less than 3 weeks, a 15 page paper on israeli poetry due in 2, as well as a variety of other assignments and tests to follow. such is life. i do wish i wasnt graduating. . . job hunting makes my stomach queasy.