It's been a long, long time . . .

Hello, mom and Auntie Lynn (my two dedicated blog readers!) and maybe Kate (?)!

As you know, I started a different blog project at the beginning of 2013 in order to explore a creative non-academic endeavor, but I haven't lost complete interest in this blog.  To be honest, part of my motivation for establishing this blog was to keep myself accountable and force my hand to do my necessary research regularly.  And I can say with confidence that I have established a regular research routine.  Most weekdays (M–F only--I take most weekends off from research) I spend a solid uninterrupted 60 minutes or more on my research.  I am still keeping a daily log, but I don't feel the need to post it since I have formed the habit.

I thought I would make a few updates to show what I have been able to accomplish, and what I hope to accomplish in the next few months:

• I was invited to give a talk at an international conference earlier this month in Asheville, North Carolina.  It was stressful getting prepared in time, but it all worked out well, and now I have a nice written draft of new research I hope to eventually develop into another publishable article.
• One essay I wrote was accepted for publication in Indiana Theory Review (it should be out in print this year).  Yay!
• Another essay was accepted pending revisions in another major refereed (top-tier) journal--which I am super excited about.  I don't want to jinx the process by naming the journal on the blog just yet.  I want to make sure my revisions are accepted and the publication is finalized, and then I'll announce it!  I really needed this publication for my self-confidence and in order to keep my academic job--it will help strengthen my case for tenure, whenever I end up going up for tenure (I have some flexibility built into my tenure clock at my job).  My goal by April 30 is to have finished the necessary revisions and send it back off to the editor.
• I have an old manuscript laying around, which has been the bain of my professional existence.  I can't seem to find a reputable refereed journal to publish it, but I still believe in the essay and my ideas SO . . . my goal for the month of May will be to revise the paper (I've already solicited feedback from two preeminent scholars in the field, which I will incorporate in my revisions) and then resubmit it somewhere else for possible publication.  If I were able to get this essay published, I would feel almost 100% confident that I wouldn't have trouble getting tenure.  For me, it would be my "slam dunk."  Now I just have to make it happen.
• I just found out that I will be presenting at an international conference on analyzing popular music in July in Liverpool, England (super cool!).  My topic will build off of the conference talk I just gave in Asheville, but the audience will be completely different and so will my approach . . .  Writing this conference paper (or reworking the draft) will be my goal for the month of June.

I won't be going up for tenure this year (and although at first I felt disappointed, I now see it may be a blessing to have some more time).  I will be taking a sabbatical leave for research this fall (that means I won't be teaching and I'll be able to spend the next eight months entirely devoted to research, minus a week here or there for the occasional trip).  I'm looking forward to developing a research routine and further goals for the fall once classes end.  I hope to use this blog to do just that.

Alright, that's it for now.  I hope to post again soon. . .  Thanks for reading.