I think my cardinal sin, the one that has made me question the importance of originality in scholarship, is that my work is radically interdisciplinary, combining trends in history, literature, and science.  It's the Humanities - Hard Sciences interplay that seems to have most people (and by people, I mean potential employers) at bay.  I feel like I am a "rara avis" more than anything else: I arouse some curiosity for my "originality" but then my potential employers land on someone else whose work might be a little more in line with the traditional boundaries of the humanities.  Or so it seems.  I could be feeling a bit victimized here.

I adore my work.  When I think about leaving academia, the thing that I can't stand is the idea of giving up my research.  Ric Caric (see comments on last post) is right in that I'm lucky that I've landed on an topic/field that holds my interest and is fascinating to me.  I just wish there was some way I could make it fascinating to others.  And, I'm thinking, the fault must lie somewhere in my presentation.  I probably apologize too much for transgressing the boundaries of my discipline, and demonstrate a sort of vague insecurity about my work...

... or at least I did last year, when I still had half of my dissertation left to write.  It's amazing what seeing your ideas to completion, original or not, can have on your confidence.  Of course, the proof will be in the pudding this year: we'll have to see if my newfound confidence actually translates into a job or not.

I am by turns optimistic and not.  I'm optimistic when I think about how far I've come since last year.  I'm pessimistic when I consider how slow this economic recovery is coming about... if it's coming about.  (I've really stopped trusting the media, which appears to be on the see-saw of conflicting indicators.)

The point is, yes, originality goes a long way towards granting satisfaction.  But I'm questioning whether it's the way to land a job.  What's the point of original research if you can't find a place that will have you continue working on it while also teaching and fulfilling about a hundred other administrative  functions, all while pursuing tenure?  Assistant Profs are by nature slaves to the trade, masochists, and idealists all at once.  I like to think I fit that bill.

Does it all come down to selling yourself correctly?  To the demonstration of enthusiasm and confidence?  I'm beginning to think that it does.  Originality be (temporarily) damned, I think, I should have written something less controversial for my dissertation.

But then... then I wouldn't be in love.