Back from Chicago

IIT campus from provost's office

Yeah, I've been away from blogging for a while. Less than 24 hours after presenting my 20th Century arts lecture, I was in Chicago, helping evaluate the Illinois Institute of Technology Humanities department. I won't get into details here. Suffice it to say that I joined an impressive group of folks flown in from around the country to produce a report within about two days. It was intense, but it was also kinda fun. We had meaningful access to an impressive range of stakeholders, including a trustee member and the provost, we survived the typical birth-pangs of small group formation, and we managed to produce some pretty decent work. Of course, staying at the Chicago Club was a treat - though we were too busy to feel decadent. Now that I'm back home, I'm preparing for another burst of activity: writing my Weimar keynote, drafting some Shanghai 2010 research, prepping a fall lecture on Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and anticipating a bustling summer travel schedule. Let the games begin! 

Morning view from Chicago Club