Surrounded by Giants

So I skipped classes at the end of last week to attend the national American Studies Association annual conference three hours to the north. I return with renewed vigor for my own writing and dissertating. At one point, I was in the audience watching Avery Gordon introduce Hazel Carby, and I turned around to see Siobhan Somerville (whom I admire and adore, having commuted 2 hours to take a class with her at a different university) waving at me, and behind her Judith Halberstam was sitting next to Lisa Lowe. Behind me the other way, Andrea Smith was sitting just a row away. I have stars in my eyes! Also in attendance were E. Patrick Johnson, Lauren Berlant, Lisa Duggan, Jose Esteban Munoz, Elaine Kim, Eva Cherniavsky, Mimi Nguyen, Martin Manalansan, Linda Trinh Vo, and even more!! I literally clicked on every letter of the alphabet of the online schedule of presentations to see who was coming. After half a semester in a new place, getting bogged down with grading 81 freshman compositions every couple of weeks, this was really helpful in getting me back on track.

In short, it was a wonderful, invigorating jolt of juice to my brains (even though it was equally exhausting physically!). To see the critical scholars who populate my essays and bookshelves-- as people who joke and have to drink water mid-presentation-- as audience members of other scholars' panels (Jose Munoz and Lisa Duggan attended Judith Halberstam's hugely popular session on queer punk, and laughed at all the right moments).

Okay, on a more corporeal note, there's nothing to eat at the convention center. Nothing worse than a couple stands hocking Starbuck's and stale pretzels and bagels. Coffee breath on top of an empty belly is AWFUL to have at a crowded conference. And then there's the mortification of having audible hunger pangs during a presentation. I know. I had them. During a panel on food, no less.

Happily, within a couple of blocks of the convention center in Albuquerque is Sushi King!! We went three days in a row! I highly recommend the New Mexico roll (green chili, avocado, spicy mayo), the veggie tempura maki, and the vegetable maki. They were great and even brough me extra spicy mayo on the side!

There's also a great New York style pizzeria that we visited on the last day (I can't believe I am capable of being sushi-ed out!)-- called JC's New York Pizza Department.