Not in a position to relocate and my career trajectory is on the upswing, so seeking a full-time TT professoring gig would potentially be a step back, but browsing ads makes me realize I'd have no chance at a job anyway because of mismatch between my CV and hiring criteria.
I have two rhet/comp books coming out, one with a UP, but my degree is an MFA in creative writing, and I've never published peer reviewed research in comp. As a creative writer, I've published a novel and collection of short stories, but my recent pubs are more comp focused.
I am truly neither fish nor fowl. My degree says I should pursue CW jobs. My "reputation" says rhet/comp. I have 20 years teaching experience of different courses on writing and literature. I'm beyond a generalist. But every ad I see has 1 or more disqualifying criteria.
These are observations, not laments, and who I am is a byproduct of the kind of path I've taken through the academy, but I personally know dozens like me who could no doubt be useful on a campus, but can't get hired because they don't fit a prescribed "academic" slot.
Personally, I have no desire at this point to pursue tenure other than it's the route to a reasonably secure, decent paying job. I'd be happy to teach my full load and continue on with the writing work I've been doing, but those jobs don't seem to exist.
I am not a "scholar" of rhetoric and composition, but I'm a darn good teacher of writing, and believe myself to be a solid contributor to the field in the way I'm able to contribute, but that stuff is out of sync with the values and systems of academia.
I'm not saying academia must make room for me and people like me, but I also think it'd be better for academia if it could figure out how to make room for me and people like me.
Obviously this needs to become a blog post now. Not sure how I'd ever come up with topics without Twitter.
