Now that the major field exam is over, I have to prepare for my final candidacy exam -- my special topics exam. My special topic is (tentatively) 19th-century riots and public protest in literature, but that title and the scope is sure to change once I actually get off my ass and revise my reading list. I have a working bibliography but some of the readings are too sociological and I don't have enough fiction or prose on the list -- it's mostly theory and criticism. I was searching the VICTORIA listserv for anything on mobs but keyword searches on listservs only go so far. My goal is the have the list done by Friday so I can relax over the weekend before the new grind begins in full. I also have to contact my committee members and ask if I can write my exam on June 15th instead of May 15th because I have two conference papers to write by May 1st and, realistically, they won't get written if I'm knee-deep in exam prep.

I still haven't heard a peep about the schedule for INCS in July or ACCUTE in May. I think those will be the only two conference I'll be presenting at before the fall. Conference travel is expensive and this summer is promising to be particularly crazy. I would really like to have a draft of my introduction ready to go by the end of August but that really depends on where we're living, when we move and whether or not my brain has exploded.

Daily goals for this week:

• 2 hours work per day on reading list
• 1 hour per day preparing Dracula paper
• Exercise and/or meditation daily

I'll post an update in a couple days.

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