In my early days on the tenure track, I was “asked” to teach classes in children’s lit, nineteenth century british lit, and a cross-time-and-space intro to drama. (“Asked” bc if the department “asks” something of an asst prof, the answer is yes.)

I was hired and tenured as a Victorianist, but I was mostly trained as a modernist. I now write creative non-fiction, and publish research in psychoanalysis and cultural studies. I‘m still training myself. “Training” is only a terminus if ppl make it so—and nobody really does.

Working in trans studies is a trip: *very* few people have *ever* been hired in trans studies, and not all of them were “trained” in it. It isn’t obvious what “training” would mean in a field with such scant representation. And not all ppl hired in trans studies have been trans.

Meanwhile, one of the best courses I’ve ever taught was on the American sitcom—a topic on which, plainly, some students knew more than me. That wasn’t a problem: teachers can and should impart knowledge, but we also convey methods, provoke insights, grant permissions.

In short, the crisis of academic labor that leaves hundreds of thousands of brilliant, dedicated workers without access to a living, is in no way the responsibility of asst profs, who are themselves extremely vulnerable workers. Power deflects exposure to the already-exposed.

But also, all this work we are ALL trying to do to tear down gate-keeping structures, decolonize, demilitarize, decarcerate, and emancipate our learning and teaching from the cops and administrators, exposes us to retaliation, and we NEED each other.

Tenured colleagues interested in campaigning towards livable compensation and conditions for our contingent colleagues are invited to check out https://tenureforthecommongood.org/  and also, to follow contingent workers to learn how to support them. Witnessing bargaining sessions, eg.

Also, unionize. Also, support action by contingent workers and grad students outside the structures of a union. Also, get fucking mad at your administrators, sneer at a cop (if you are safe doing so), put your body between ICE and undocumented students and workers. Get arrested.

“Tenure means: you get yourself arrested,” as a veteran organizer said to me shortly after my promotion.

Also, remember who the real enemies are on our campuses. Cops, prisons, fascists, military recruiters, admins who enable all of the above, and (usually) athletics franchises.

I FUCKING LOVE TEACHERS AND I’M GRATEFUL TO TWITTER FOR HELPING ME LEARN MORE EVERY DAY.