Six Day Post-Surgery Update

I am still:

1) in pain and discomfort. I have to admit, a good deal.
2) resting. It is mostly all I do.
3) writing at least a half hour a day. Given that it does not increase or decrease my pain, I might as well take in the sense of meaning it gives me. It is not going to be my best work, but it does not have to be.
4) steadied by the love of my sweetheart
5) lifted by the warmth of my friendships
6) inspired by the scholars I work with
7) comforted by my dogs
8) needing it all, right now.

What I Brought With Me to the Hospital

Implement of Writing and Valentine's Day Dog

Anyone surprised? 

Post Knee-Carpentry Writing- 147 words

30 minute writing block, three hours post-knee replacement surgery. Full of weird drugs. Strange machines attached to me, beeping their mysterious calls. Nurses checking vitals constantly. Strange and deep pain. Oxygen monitor on my pinky, making it hard to type.

147 words on an article exploring literary tools for autoethnography.  This is going to be a good one!  I will do it again tomorrow. And the next day. Why? Because that is what and who I wish to be.

How? Applying the tools I have learned, developed, mastered, and now teach through workshops, my scholarship, my blog, and coaching practice. I love that I have so many tools and methods that I can apply to myself, help others perform, tweak, adjust, adapt, create. I always am working at honing my practice.

Sound a bit arrogant? Maybe, but I am feeling pretty good about this writing block, under the circumstances, and about what I have to offer to others. Or maybe it is the drugs 😼😼

Surgery Two

Today, I am going in for my second knee replacement. Unlike the first, I am not afraid. If all goes well, I will be sitting in my writing chair, dogs in lap, on Saturday. I will have some pain, but I will be fine. I will have what I need. Love. Warmth. Dogs. Writing. I will get knee-care coach/significant other Sandy to bring me some sushi. I will start my online workshop next week. I will slowly get back in the swing of things. Near the end of March, I go back to teaching.

And sorry for the downturn in new blog posts.I will be getting back to it soon.

Another Day, Another Word (or two, or ten, or).

I am writing at my favorite coffee house. Like every day, I am not concerned with how much I write. If I am focused, if all of us are focused, and we stay in process, day after day, the writing gets done. I have my writing agenda. I have an entry point in my primary article. I enter, I keep my head in check. I stay out of my own way. I write.  

Practical Tips for Writing Your Dissertation – An 8-week Online Workshop

Practical Tips for Writing Your Dissertation – An 8-week Online Workshop | Feb. 21 - April 25

Dates: February 21, 2018 - April 25, 2018 
(An 8-week Online Course)
Presenter: Rich Furman

Description:
This online workshop is designed for doctoral students to help develop the skills needed to successfully complete a high quality dissertation. It begins with an exploration of the nature of dissertations, including an analysis of the traditional dissertation architecture and the nature of each section. It examines the nature of quality in scholarly writing, helping developing scholars engage in an examination and critique of each other’s writing. Participants will practice methods of writing productivity, using each technique to push their agenda writing forward. Finally, the workshop helps doctoral students understand the psychosocial barriers that inhibit scholars, perhaps the most important and unique aspect of this workshop.

This online workshop will be a combination of readings, videos, writing, learning partner dialogues, and online conversations. There will also be a live conference call each week. Participants should be available for the live conference calls, and have a total of up to 6 hours each week available for the assignments and weekly dialogue partner conversations. 

•Module 1- Introduction, Deconstructing the Dissertation
•Module 2- The Architecture/Sections of the Dissertation
•Module 3- Quality Writing and the Dissertation
•Module 4- Methods of Writing Productivity, Part 1
•Module 5- Methods of Writing Productivity, Part 2
•Module 6- The Psychosocial Barriers to Writing and Publishing, Part 1
•Module 7- The Psychosocial Barriers to Writing and Publishing, Part 2
•Module 8- Putting It All Together

Dates and times – Live calls will be held on Wednesdays from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM New York time/US Eastern time as follows:

• Orientation - Feb. 21
• Module 1 - Feb. 28 
• Module 2 - March 7
• Module 3 - March 14
• Module 4 - March 21
•    - March 28 - Off
• Module 5 - April 4 
• Module 6 - April 11
• Module 7 - April 18
• Module 8 - April 25

Registration form: Click Here

Registration Fees: 
Student - $550
General - $650
Taos PhD Student - Email: info@taosinstitute.net for rates.
(Rates good before January 15th. After Jan.. 15th, add $100.) 

Author bio: 
Rich Furman, MSW, PhD, Professor at the University of Washington Tacoma. Author of over 15 books and over 120 peer-reviewed articles. Areas of research interest include globalization and social work, and expressive qualitative methodologies. Empowering academics to maximize their strengths and transcend their psychosocial barriers so they can build powerful careers and thrive.

For questions: Email Rich Furman at richfurmanphd@gmail.com

Cancellations:

50% refund for any cancellations up to four weeks before course starts. 25% refund for any cancellations up to two weeks before. No refunds after course starts.

A Video I Must Share: Dr. Tien Ung

This has nothing to do with writing, publishing, or academia. Yet, this video of a presentation by my dear colleague, Tien Ung, is just too precious not to share.

Community, Place and Identity: Are You at Home in the World? demonstrates the best that my profession, social work, has to offer. Dr. Ung articulates how her own lived experiences as a Vietnamese woman and immigrant have shaped the formation of her professional identity, her alignment with key existential truths, and her deep sense of the importance of service.

She powerfully articulates three existential needs we all possess: the need to be seen; to recognize the goodness in others; and, to belong. Watching this video, I am filled with the beauty of these truths.