Dissertation Proposal, Part 1

So, I am here in my office writing my dissertation proposal. (My computer is broken or I would never be here in Curtin Hall on a Saturday). This is draft number two. My first draft was just a description of the chapters. I wanted to start there because I thought that would be the hardest part. I am not sure if I was correct about that, but we will see.

Right now the problem I am having is with my level of specificity. These proposals, I am told, are to have "less detail, more overview." I should "step back in order to describe." Also, I do not need to "produce readings." (These quotes are all from Jane or at least my notes of what Jane has said). Of course, producing readings is what I am good at, and I seem to have a problem generalizing. How much detail is too much? And what level of generality is too general? What, I wonder, do my readers need to know in this context.

The hard thing is that I don't seem to know this. I will just have to play around until Jane says, "okay, this works." Though I would prefer, "Kate, this is so awesome I fell off my chair." (Without injury, of course).

The thing is, what Jane wants, and I know this from prior experience, is something clear that is also interesting and well-written. She likes it when I am bad, when I break rules, go outside what would seem to be acceptable. So, the difficult thing here is to make the writing of this annoying little piece of text elegant. How, I ask, though, can a dissertation proposal be elegantly written?

The Title

First, let me say, in this, my first entry, that the title of this blog was not my creation. No, this title was created by Carrie, though the inspiration for such a name clearly comes from my life.