One Year...

One year ago today, on Little’s second birthday, I interviewed, was offered, and accepted the job I have had for the last year at King’s. Even though I’ve already started a new job, I wanted to reflect on the last year.

Interview Day!

My position at King’s was something new for me; moving from Ancient History to Art and Archaeology was exciting, but more than that, it was refreshing. My research was already moving more and more toward material culture, and the opportunity to teach ancient Greek art really propelled my research on. In that respect, my position at King’s really accelerated what had been a gradual move into something that clicked almost immediately.
But I also taught a lot, and had very few opportunities to reuse material I had used in previous positions, so while my brain was moving a million miles an hour thinking about research… There were simply not enough hours in the week to begin engaging fully in those idea. I have taken a lot of notes and written a lot of reflections, and I hope that I will get to revisit many of the idea that came up while teaching and reading this year. 
There was also some pain. I was not shortlisted for a permanent position in Greek Art at King’s because (maybe, among other things) my research is about material culture and not specifically about art. Maybe that sounds unfair, and (without sugarcoating) it felt very, very unfair to me. But it wasn’t unfair. It just was a department that needed a specific thing out of a new hire and I did not fit that set of criteria. I could have, of course, tried to shoehorn myself in – but I don’t think that would have been the right thing to do.
Later, I interviewed for another job (which I didn’t get), but out of that interview, I was offered the 12-month job I currently have at Bristol. A job that gives me the time to explore some of those ideas that have been sparked over the last 12-months at King’s. 
I love King’s. I did my PhD here, and I have taught here several different times. The students are amazing, and my colleagues are great. But so far… in the 11 days that I have been a staff member at Bristol… I have felt happier, I feel welcomed and I feel enthusiastic about using this opportunity to get a lot of work done. Hopefully including whatever work is needed to make sure that next time I do get the permanent job, and not the 12-month version.

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Interview Day... again.