The endcap to my over-long academic career is finally done! This week I submitted the final copy of my master's thesis, which was awarded the grade of "Distinction" (Trinity's version of an "A") and has been nominated for the Paul Smith Thesis Prize. I doubt I'll win it, but it's an honor to be in the running. I sincerely would have been content to receive a mere passing grade, just to wrap up what's been a bumpy rollercoaster of a post-graduate career -- but, lo, I'm going to wind up graduating with honors!

My thesis, titled "Dream's Odyssey: A Jungian Analysis of Neil Gaiman's Sandman," can be viewed or downloaded as a PDF by clicking the following link: www.geocities.com/sebparker/MA_Thesis.pdf.

It's a long story as to why it took almost three years to complete my thesis. Not too long after commencing the first draft, my original thesis advisor, Professor Fred Pfeil, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. To complicate matters, I'd also lost my cushy job, expensive home, long-time girlfriend, and personal dignity as the result of drug addiction. After finally regaining my sanity and sobriety (well, for the most part), I was sad to learn Fred had passed away. I spent most of last summer looking for another advisor and was pleased when one of my favorite professors, Clare Rossini, was willing to assume respsonsibility to grading a paper for which she'd had little input and practically no familiarity with the source material (she taught mostly poetry courses, and "Dream's Odyssey" concerns a comic book).

I can't thank Clare enough, nor can't I come close to expressing my gratitude toward Professor Irene Papoulis, with whom I'd never met, for assuming the role of secondary reader. Also deserving thanks for their support are English Department Chair Sheila Fisher, Administrative Assistant Margaret Grasso, Professor Milla Riggio, Writing and Rhetoric Director Beverly Wall, Graduate Studies Dean Nancy Wagner, and Associate Registrar Linda Gilbert. Thanks as well to all my friends who supported me these past few years and helped me finally finish what I started. Last but far, far from least, I cannot forget my beautiful Karla, who always reminds me that the future can only grow brighter with each passing day...

(Sounds like an Academy Awards speech, huh? Oh well.)

  posted by S. Parker @ 6:02 AM