My Dissertation is Finally Finished

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 1:54 pm

Way to go, Keith!

That actually looks really interesting. Have you had any offers on the movie rights yet?

Tom

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:10 pm

khl wrote:Most won't care about this, but some of you know me and so I'm happy to announce that, after too many years, I've finally finished, defended, and sent to press my dissertation.

My degree is out of Claremont Graduate University. The degree is from the School of Religion there, with the program in Philosophy of Religion and Theology. Title: "Striving Before God: Kierkegaard and the Concept of Religious Authorship."

When I joined Chiff and Fipple, I chose Kierkegaard as my avatar. I did this as a reminder that I needed to be working on my dissertation. I always said I would change avatars when I finished, but I'm used to it now and think I'll keep it. One of the best things about having this done is that now when I spend time playing whistle, I don't have to be worried that I should be writing rather than playing.

If my dissertation ever gets published, I'll put up the link to it. I just know all of you will want to run out and buy it.

It's a good thing to have behind me.

YAY!!

And actually, the minister of my church is also a Kierkegaard 'fan' ... he'll be interested, I think.

Good for you!!

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:05 pm

Congratulations!

Do you feel a bit lost now with too much time on your hands?

That is a tremendous accomplishment.

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:23 pm

Congratulations, Keith! I know you're glad to have that over with.

You certainly seem to have covered all the bases, there. Good job! Interesting, too!

Psst! WyoBadger! By "authorship," he means, like, writing something, right?

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 6:39 am

Actually the dissertation sounds very interesting.

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:36 am

Well Done, Keith!

I write this with conviction, while doing my best to maintain a humility that welcomes criticism and correction.

khl · Post by **khl** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:01 pm

Innocent Bystander wrote:I write this with conviction, while doing my best to maintain a humility that welcomes criticism and correction.

Nicely said.

Thanks for the comments, everyone. After years of having this hanging over my head, worrying, feeling nagged by it at every turn, I still have to keep reminding myself that it's actually finished. All the freedom is being filled up, of course, with other academic projects I need/want to work on. The problem now is having so many choices of interesting things to do and narrowing it down to a few things that I can give close attention to.

(Tom, no movie offers yet. If it comes it in book form, maybe I can look at writing a screen play. Five to ten minute movie. Oscar material for sure.

)

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:06 pm

movie?!

HDSarah · Post by **HDSarah** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:10 pm

Congratulations! A completed doctoral dissertation is a huge accomplishment!

I wrote an undergraduate honors thesis and then two Masters theses, but never did a doctorate. I can extrapolate from that to the feeling of joy you must have now. Kind of like floating?

khl wrote: The whole process was made more complicated when the original chair of the dissertation (a fine gentleman from Wales http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D.Z._Phillips ) died unexpectedly of a heart attack. He'd helped guide the first two thirds of this. Fortunately, the fellow who took over as chair was on the same page, philosophically speaking, and things went rather smoothly considering.

My husband used to joke that he went through "a whole dinette set of chairs" on his Ph.D. Near the beginning of the writing phase, his original advisor quit academia entirely. (Hubby wandered into the department office one morning, being his usual bubbly self. The secretary said "My, you're taking the news well," and he responded "What news?" The advisor didn't even have the decency to tell him herself before it was grapevine news!) I think he "only" went through two more chairs after that, so I guess it wasn't quite a whole dinette set. What a nightmare, though. I'm glad yours worked out better, and I'm sorry for the loss of your original advisor.

MarcusR · Post by **MarcusR** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 3:29 pm

Congratulations, Keith!

I know the amount of work and sacrifices needed, well done.
Hoping to defend my own before the end of the year, about two years later than originally planed

Swooosh!, Hey, was that another deadline passing by?

Future is bright I guess, either ...

or

All the best!

/MarcusR

djm · Post by **djm** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 3:43 pm

So that's the main course, what's for dessertion?

djm

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My Dissertation is Finally Finished

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