Even though it’s Summer 2008 that doesn’t mean that I’m taking an extended vacation!  This summer is jam-packed with writing, conferencing, and class.

1. Course work:  Teaching College Writing with Professor Brian Huot.  I’m taking a class in preparation of teaching the introductory college writing course in the Fall at Kent State University.  I received an appointment beginning in the Fall that pays for my classes and gives me a stipend in exchange of carrying a 2-1 teaching load.  This Fall will be my first college teaching experience, and I’m feeling a mixed bag of excitement and trepidation.  However, the excitement is taking over as this course progresses and I learn more pedagogical theory and nuts-and-bolts teaching practices.
2. Writing:  I’m preparing my much traveled conference paper, “Michael Bay’s Transformers, the Global War on Terror, and the New Post-9/11 SF Narrative” for publication.  I promised this to Sherryl Vint, co-editor of Science Fiction Film and Television, at IAFA 2008 in March.  My plan is to send this off in the next two weeks.
3. Writing and Conferencing:  I’m turning my paper, “We are All Nomads:  Computers, Orientalism, and Nomadology in Mike Resnick’s Ivory” into a conference length work.  I’m presenting this at SFRA 2008 in July (on my birthday).  This will require a lot of elbow grease, but I’m confident that it’ll come together before I begin the long drive out West (yes, I want to go on a road trip after I finish my Teaching College Writing course over Summer I).
4. Writing and Conferencing:  Andrew Pilsch emailed me on Facebook awhile back about doing another panel at SLSA 2008 in the Fall.  Last year, Chris Van Acker, Andrew, and I were on a panel together, and it was a blast.  Andrew has some kickass ideas for a new panel, and an even more knock-dead paper idea.  I just sent him a draft for our panel proposal along with an abstract of my publishable-length paper, “Transsexual Technology:  The Political Potential of Gender Shifting Technologies.”  That’s another paper that needs a significant reduction, but I’m looking forward to getting some comments and questions on it.

UPDATE

My CRS kicked in and I forgot to mention this:

5.  Reviewing:  I’m looking forward to reviewing Sonja Fritzsche’s Science Fiction Literature in East Germany for German Quarterly!