During college orientation, the student union leader wanted to group everyone by major. I had every intention of being a psychology major, until he called for that group and I saw 2/3 of the room stand. Something kept me planted in my seat -- fear? anxiety? inferiority complex? irony? I felt more comfortable with the response to the call for...
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During college orientation, the student union leader wanted to group everyone by major. I had every intention of being a psychology major, until he called for that group and I saw 2/3 of the room stand. Something kept me planted in my seat -- fear? anxiety? inferiority complex? irony? I felt more comfortable with the response to the call for "English Majors." It was just a handful of people. I filed into the group seamlessly. I fit right in, no questions asked, and it was the easiest decision I ever made, so easy, in fact, it was as if it was made for me. When the department head handed us the pamphlet "What to do with an English Major," the double entendre did not go unnoticed. Was the question, what would I do with that course of study, or what would the department do to me?
Everyone assumed I would end up a teacher. That is the one job I have not held, yet.... I've been a copywriter, copy editor, magazine managing editor, web content editor, program coordinator, mother, and administrative ass. (Their abbreviation, not mine.) I also worked in an independent bookstore, which fueled my obsession for contemporary literature. We read advanced copies, wrote employee recommendations on little note cards and taped them up on the shelves. We helped people find books, both hidden gems of the publishing world and NY Times best sellers. We also counted a lot money in the tills, cash that reminded us how poor we were working there. Even with an employee discount, I couldn't afford to read all the titles that kept finding their way to my wish list. I started an excel spreadsheet to track everything I HAD to read. This was in the days before Shelfari, of course.
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my shelves, my History with books! The list is always growing. THAT is, ultimately, what you do with an English major -- you read, you share what you read with others, and then you read some more.
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