Reflections on first weeks at UNC

Yay! The thesis nightmare is over! I had a call from Calvin yesterday and they have accepted my thesis and thus granted my degree. That was a long haul. Now I can get on with my studies here at UNC without that other stuff hanging over me.

Well...

UNC...I'm enrolled in three seminars. Each consists of one three-hour slot per week. The first and most delightful is "Suffering in the Old Testament" taught by James Crenshaw over at Duke University (and whose work I had used in my Psalms thesis for Calvin). It is such a treat. He is approaching 70 and retirement (sadly), although he's been invited to teach at the Pontificum in Rome when he does. He is gentle, funny, widely read, and with only 6 of us in the seminar, gives great attention to each one of us. I find myself disappointed when the 3 hours are up - I could sit with him all night! This is a knotty and interesting subject to be exploring and I'm lapping it up.

The second one is "Diaspora Judaism" - that is, Judaism outside of Jerusalem. About 20 of us in this one, and all the teaching will be done by student presentations - I volunteered to do one of the first, next Monday, on the Septuagint and the Letter of Aristeas - a subject about which I have done some thinking in the past. Thus this will give me a chance to pull the ideas together and present them.

The third is "Dead Sea Scrolls." I'm not wild about the teaching style of the prof, but love the subject, and look forward to discovering more about it. And my two classmates are sympathiques.

The six weeks spent here before classes were just what I needed. I confess to being fairly indolent during this time, but don't regret it. On the contrary, I sat around a lot and thought. And the chief thing that I thought was "How can I carry this sense of ease and non-stressed-out-ness into term time?" And the answer was "Be aware." I am no longer the scared, insecure student I was seven or five years ago, and am happy to report that I am thoroughly enjoying the first weeks in school. Sure, I'm busy, but not frantic. The work load is OK. And I think I will acquit myself quite well.

I just read "Four Souls" by Louise Erdrich. Wonderful. Great characters (especially the old man). Started Ann Tyler's "The Amateur Marriage" (published 2004) last night. I like her and expect to enjoy this one too. Yes, even when I'm studying, I always have a novel on the go, and always look forward to settling down into my bed at night to read for a while.