We kick off Season 2 of Some Things Considered with a conversation continued from real life in real time. If you are in any way involved with (in no particular order) academia, writing, or the insanity of late-stage capitalism on a micro level, you might have read about what’s going on at Stanford, and the debacle occurring in their Creative Writing program.
Long story short: just as professors were preparing for the fall semester, they were notified (via Zoom, because of course) that the non-tenured teachers who account for most of the courses being taught to undergrads were being “future-fired” (meaning they would keep their jobs for a year or two and then be summarily dismissed from their duties, not for cause or because of financial constraints, but just…because). There’s a lot to unpack here, and I first heard rumblings about this unsavory development a couple of months ago; the other week there was an article in
The Chronicle of Higher Education that broke down the situation in detail, and featured insights from Austin Smith, a beloved and well-published teacher who is at once appalled and blindsided by the university’s myopic decision. I naturally wanted to provide him an opportunity to share his experiences, and while we certainly discuss Stanford’s shenanigans, we also contextualize what’s happening as part of a much larger and ugly pattern we’re seeing in academia, specifically within Humanities departments, and both how and why the always-tenuous circumstances of creatives who love teaching is becoming a genuine crisis. Hint: in almost all cases, this is not because of budget cuts or hardships; it’s because of administrative bloat and the egregious ways colleges have been emulating the worst aspects of corporate culture. Austin is, in almost every way, the Platonic ideal of a contemporary professor: learned, passionate, and he actually, deeply cares about students. Sounds like someone a university should try to retain at all costs, right? I invite you not only to enjoy this conversation to learn more about Austin, but to get a better appreciation of what so many teachers (especially our ill-treated adjuncts who are trying to stay afloat in a system that’s equal parts abusive and dysfunctional), and to spread the word and get involved.
ABOUT GUEST AUSTIN SMITH
Learn more about Austin at austinrobertsmith.com
ABOUT SOME THINGS CONSIDERED
Award-winning author Sean Murphy in conversation with creative thinkers, spanning the literary, music, art, politics, and tech industries. As a cultural critic, professor, founder of a literary non-profit, Sean is always looking to explore and celebrate the ways Story is integral to how we define ourselves, as artists and human beings. This Substack newsletter and weekly podcast peels back the layers of how creativity works, why it matters, how our most brilliant minds achieve mastery. Join us to explore how our most successful and inspired storytellers engage by discussing craft, routines, brand, and mostly through authentic and honest expression. Tune in and subscribe here on Substack at seanmurphy.live
ABOUT HOST SEAN MURPHY
Website: seanmurphy.net
Twitter: @bullmurph
Instagram: @bullmurph
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