what I’m in the mood for, but can’t do

I’ve returned to Cairo with all of Spring Break ahead. That was deliberately planned… Much as it would have been nice to stay on in Scotland for a longer time (though with that weather, maybe not just now) I need to get the Atlanta lecture thoroughly prepared, and I’ll need every minute of this week to get it to the right level.

But what I’m in the mood for now, prompted by a couple of the papers in Dundee, is a couple of months of thorough review of Hegel. It’s been a longer time since I’ve read lots and lots of Hegel than for any thinker of comparable stature. The problem is, the next block of free time is January 2011.

And that’s why I’m classifying this as an “advice” post. If you’re still a graduate student, though many things about that role are frustrating and awful and worth putting behind you forever as efficiently as possible, there are some really wonderful things about that time too. And one of the most striking is that, except at certain pressure-packed times, you can decide things like: “screw it, I’m reading Hegel for the next two months,” and not only are there no negative practical consequences of such a decision– you’ll actually be commended for it.

Enjoy it while you can. There will come a time, soon enough, when you have teach things or be writing about them if you want to be able to read them. And it will also become slightly harder to master new things quickly (though I find I can still do it, but only through forcing myself to do it regularly; it’s almost like working out in an intellectual gym).