Dear friends and family,

It has been a long time since I wrote my ya'll to update on what I have been up to. To put it mildly, I have been over-stressed, over-worked, and over-tired. This semester is only midway through and it already seems longer than most. Most of it has been unpleasant, with a few high points along the way.

High points:

Rowan -- The most beautiful baby I have ever seen. He is very charming, easy-going and playful. He smiles most of the time. He is five months old now and is learning to sit up. He is also discovering that he too can make loud noises -- even when happy. Lots of work, but very loving.

Washington DC -- I went to a professional conference at the end of September called "Lavender Languages" where I gave a paper on bisexual coming out stories. It was wonderful! The intellectual stimulation was amazing, my paper and participation in the conference were well received, and I made a new friend (big smile).

Dissertation -- I now have all five members of my Ph.D. dissertation committee and they are enthusiastic about working with me and about my proposed area of study. For those interested: Florence Babb, Chair (my mentor), Margery Wolf, Mac Marshall, Laura Graham, and Susan Birrell. Susan is the only non-anthropologists. She is a feminist in the area for "sports, health and leisure" and has dealt with body image issues before. My topic? I have proposed an ethnography of transgendered/intersexual people. Probably in the SF Bay Area. I am in the reading stage. I have to read everything I can on the subject and submit the first draft of my proposal by the end of spring semester.

Grades -- I have been worrying that I am not doing well in my classes. I have been continually behind in my reading and one of the classes is a "statistics" class for anthropologists. I wrote a paper last week for "Reading and Writing Ethnography" and had a midterm in statistics yesterday. Turns out that I pulled an "A-" in stats. (Not bad, though I still don't understand the logic of his grading -- or lack thereof.) But even better, I received glowing feedback from Margery Wolf on the paper. She and Mac Marshall (my third instructor, who she is married to) love the paper. She also recommend I show it to my advisor. Her written comments were: "A. You were right when you said you thought I would like this. It is a delicious paper!... I really think this is one of the best 'understandings' of the fact/fiction debate I have read. Fine work, Dawn!" This is certainly a new context in which to be called "delicious." (I could email it to anyone who wants to read it, but warning, it is about a ongoing theoretical debate in anthropology.)

Well, the work load doesn't look like it will let up any time soon. And I have a sore throat and sniffles. (Last week is was a three day headache. And yes, mom, I did get the flu shot!) But at least the work is being received well.

More statistics reading to do and then I have to prepare my "field notes" journal for the methods course. And then I will probably get up early with Rowan again. So I had better say good night.

Love,

Dawn