In a holding pattern

Over at Quod She there's an interesting discussion on the relationship between the dissertation director and the dissertator. I've read Quod She on and off over the last year and I really value the advice and observations I've found there. This post is no different.

Dr. Virago describes a dissertation director that kept a dissertator from defending for three years in order to make the dissertation into a book. The rationale given was that it would be easier to write a "dissertation-book" as a graduate student instead of as an assistant professor whose tenure clock is already ticking. Dr. Virago suggests this strategy just hurts the student by pointing out how those three years would look different from a financial perspective as an assistant professor versus grad student but also from the social and professional perspective.

In the end, Dr. V. suggests this is an abuse of power, and in that, I would agree. If the dissertator agreed that a dissertation book was the goal of the degree, it would be one thing to extend the dissertation phase. But to impose that upon someone who perhaps just wants to get out of there seems vastly unfair. And Dr. Virago also rightly points out that if such an expectation becomes the norm, then we could end up with the situation that anyone graduating from a dissertation program is expected to already be published, rather than just graduating as a novice scholar who is ready to start publishing.

The reason this post hits home is because the aborted job market run last year has meant I won't defend till almost a year later than I'd originally planned. And in discussing the change of schedule, the idea that I would make the dissertation more book-ready was one suggestion. But I don't know that I want this dissertation to be my book.

That's not to say there's not some good material there - even publishable material. But I just don't know that as a book it works. It works as a dissertation. But I think it's too broad for a book. Right now when I look at it, I see two solid journal articles, with a possible third. The third I'm unsure of. The idea in this third discrete segment could work I think, though one of my readers has expressed doubts, so I'm going to present it at a conference this spring and see if it works in that venue.

But I've seriously begun to think about a book project that would be different from the dissertation. It has its origins in the dissertation, but just as a germ of an idea. A book that goes in the direction I'm thinking would need to go way beyond the dissertation. So much so that it would essentially be a different project.

So the suggestion (consolation?) that I can use the extra year to make the dissertation into a book is troubling. I realize at this point, fighting the delay does me no good. But it doesn't make the consolation of having time to work the dissertation into a more book-ready form any easier to take considering I'm not sold on this being a book.

Much food for thought.