“you’re gonna teach about US?”
“heck yes, i am.”
“are you gonna tape it?”
“yes, i am.”
“CAN WE WATCH?!”
“…dude…no. seriously, that’d be weird. you watching me lecturing about you? nah– i’ll bring you the handouts or something. i’ll be thinking about you guys.”
so my TCJC students are, as you can read in the paraphrased conversation above, a little pleased that my final lecture at Antioch is about…well, them. about the class they come to almost every week, “Song of Myself.” i’ve promised them that though i’m not going to sit there blushing while they watch a recording of me lecturing for 50 minutes, i will let them know how it goes, and i will give them a rundown of what i talked about, and i will be thinking of them, grateful for the grace they’ve shown me as i try my hand at teaching.
that said, i’m sorry for the long silence, but there’s your explanation: i’ve spent the last three weeks barreling toward the end of my final semester at Antioch University Los Angeles, dotting every i and crossing every t, so to speak. now i’m happy to report that tomorrow morning i fly for Culver City for my graduating residency: Sunday night i give my final reading at the Electric Lodge, the following Thursday i’ll give my final lecture, and Sunday the 18th i’ll listen to kick-ass commencement speaker Father Gregory Boyle, author of Tattoos on the Heart. i’ll turn in my Final Manuscript, Small Things, and my cumulative annotated bibliography. and then–i’ll hallelujiahfreakinggraduate. (i believe that’s the academic term.)
a good friend asked me this week how i feel about being so close to finished. how do i NOT feel about being so close to finished? i asked back. i’m exhilarated, but the melancholy has set in too. fingers crossed and all wishes granted, this’ll be a very good week with some of my favorite people in the world. but it’ll be something sad, too.
can’t think about that right now. i’ll be sure to drop a post or two from residency, but in the meantime, can i just ask a small thing?
wish me luck. 
Break a leg!
Our thoughts and prayers will be with you. We are so proud of your accomplishments.
Love,
Mom and Dad Schlipf
Thank you, guys; that means a lot to me. You know I’m carrying you two with me in spirit. Love you both.
i am so rediculously proud of you. seriously. i’m sure you’ll have to start another giant all-consuming, time-absorbing project (cough, writing a book, cough), but it will be awesome to see what your fingers create.
love you dear.
thank you, sweetie : ) that means a lot, coming from you. how’s the art/coffee shop gig going?