suck

[frualeydis]

I just gave a bad lecture. The lecture was unstructured and I tried to press to much information in it. When I'm good I can make a half-bad lecture good, but today it was too bad - or I wasn't good enough. My only defense is that I have been forced to make too many new lectures in too little time.
To top it off a middle-aged serbian lady came up to me during the break and was really aggressive because I had "told lies about Serbia and it's ancient history".
I really tried to include often overlooked areas in medieval history, but not being very nationalistic myself and living in a country with very little nationalism I was not prepared that people should have such strong feelings about things that happened in the 7th century and flatly refuse to believe what research has shown just because it isn't in accordance with the national "history".
So now I have to make some drastic changes in the lecture for Thursday, because it is made in the same way as the one I held today and that apparently wasn't good.

Comments

[therru.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, that Serbian thing sounds to me almost like the science/religion debacle. Like someone would have come up to you and been angry that you didn't say that the earliest humans wore fig leaves. Like the old, "If the map doesn't correspond to reality, the map applies".

I would have been really ill at ease had that happened to me, and possibly a bit scared, too. I do hope, however, that you aren't going to change your lecture because of that? After all, academic research shouldn't really have to pander that much to politics. Though I can certainly understand it if you don't wish to take that conflict.

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

Nope, I'm going to change it because it wasn't good. But not now, now I have to work on teh next one.

BTW, changing subject here: can I crash at your place during Historikermötet or should I look for a hotel? It's the 24th to 26th of April.

/Eva

[therru.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear it.

You are of course very welcome to crash, but you should know that there is a possibility that there may be a small party at my place on the Saturday. :)

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

Oh no ;) Is it your birthday? I will be at the ending feast in the evening so I will probably not disturb your party.
Thank you.

/Eva