Something additional is bugging me about the story of Julius Scott and the long overdue publishing of his book on communication networks among slaves. His contingency is being erased. The Amazon page calls Scott a "professor" at U. Michigan. He was, in reality, a "lecturer."
And according to the Chronicle article on the book's publication, health problems forced him to leave the lecturer position years ago. As we know there is a difference between "lecturer" and "professor." chronicle.com/article/An-Und…
If Scott had spent his career as a "professor" rather than a "lecturer," even following his health problems he would likely have access to superior health care, emeritus status which would allow him to work as he's able, and all kinds of other benefits.
Perhaps Michigan is more forward thinking on how it treats its lecturers, and if so, that's great, but it isn't the norm. As contingent faculty, the second you stop working you're erased from an responsibility the institution may show towards you.
I believe this erasure of Scott's contingency matters because it allows the narrative of the "perfectionist" "professor" who worked away at his manuscript while in a secure, well-paid position. That's not what happened, according to the info we have available.
The real story is one of a contingent scholar, operating without the benefit of the networks that protect those on the inside who is receiving little recognition and no benefit from his scholarship which is "groundbreaking" and "genius."
As @tressiemcphd argued, there's no doubt that the way these systems view and manufacture "genius" was not going to be equipped to uplift Julius Scott. Erasing his contingency obscures this reality. I hope it's corrected.
Occasionally, through no malice, I've had people erase my own contingent status, calling me "professor" or "visiting professor" instead of lecturer or visiting instructor. I try to gently correct because part of my story is my contingency.
I was never a professor, and never worked under those privileges. I'm no Julius Scott, but what I've achieved as a writer and commentator is often in spite of my work in academia, not because of it. The reason is contingency.
