AI vs. learning

I seem to be embedding LinkedIn posts a lot recently. Here's another one about AI that I like. I might bring it up in class.

One chapter to go, but feeling drained

I managed to finish a draft of the second chapter that I'm responsible for and sent it off on the 9th, but I haven't made much progress on finishing the third chapter. I have over half of it done, I suppose, but there are a few points for which I need to spend some time looking through and organizing some archival documents.

But right now I am not quite in the mood to work on this. Two days before I sent off the second chapter, I heard from my mother that her older sister passed away. Aunt Lucy (married to Uncle Erich, who died in 2014) was 102. When someone reaches that age, you simultaneously feel that she could go at any time and also feel that she will be around forever. Even though we saw her decline in the last year or so--and especially toward the end--it's hard to believe that she's gone. My mother, who talked to her on the phone almost every night for an hour for probably 15 years, has lost the last person with whom she could share--really share, not just talk about--all their childhood memories. And Aunt Lucy was like a second mother to me, especially when I spent the summer of 1985 (40 years ago!) with them in Allentown, working at the family jewelry and clock store. I didn't realize at the time that she was 62 years old (which would have seemed extremely old to me back then); she always seemed young and energetic, even years later when she was complaining about various aches and pains. To imagine (to witness, really) that she led an active life for another 40 years after that reinforces that feeling of almost surprise that she is gone.

I'm not sure how to finish this. I will try to get back to work on my writing now. More updates as needed!

One chapter down, two to go...

I sent to the other authors the first of the three chapters that I'm responsible for in the GHK biography. It's actually the second of the three, that covers Kerr's advocacy for Taiwan during the late 1940s-mid 1950s and the effects of McCarthyism on his academic career. It's interesting writing about this with a Taiwanese audience in mind because I have to make sure that I discuss the American historical context in more detail than I might have to with a US audience. (Then again, as I was reminded by a colleague, I should probably not expect the US audience to be that much more informed about the McCarthy era, unless they have studied it. I think folks today would consider it ancient history. Which they shouldn't, for some very pressing reasons... But I digress.)

The other concern I have is about my style/tone. It's going to be translated into Chinese, so I tried to write with that in mind, but I had some trouble figuring out how academic vs. how popular I should sound. I'm afraid I might have erred on the side of sounding academic. That might need some work depending on what the editors and publishers expect. To me, it's interesting stuff, but it might sound a bit dry and boring to readers. Perhaps I should spice it up a bit. I tried to include quotes from Kerr and others to bring their voices into it, but of course the results will depend on how it gets translated. 

One extended quote that I liked was from a political science professor at Stanford who was interviewed by the Civil Service Commission about Kerr's loyalty when Kerr was applying for a contract position at the Hoover Institute that was funded by the International Cooperation Administration. He appears to have responded rather testily to the interviewer's questions:

In the last few years I have been interviewed by Government Investigators at least three or four times concerning George Kerr. I have always given George the highest recommendation and my opinion of him has not changed since the last time I was interviewed about a year or a year and a half ago. If I had any reason to question him either securitywise or from the standpoint of loyalty, I would surely inform the proper government agency. 

I first met George while we were both assigned to the Formosa Research Unit at Columbia University while serving with the United States Navy around 1944. I have known him ever since. Last semester at Stanford University he taught a course in my department. He has been out at the University for a good number of years now. I think that any man who has served as a Naval Attache and a Vice-Consul for this government does not have to be investigated every time he turns around. 

George’s character, habits and morals are beyond reproach. He is completely honest and trustworthy and a gentleman of the highest integrity. I can only reiterate all the statements I have made in the past. I cannot question his loyalty to this country. I feel the government is lucky to get his services and I would recommend him highly for work involving our national security program.

I'd love to know who this was, but unfortunately, his name has been redacted. I suppose I could figure it out pretty easily, though, if I did a little searching to find out who was at Columbia and then went to Stanford. 

But I have those two other chapters to work on now... due 8/15! Wish me luck!

Source: James M. Murtha, investigator, Report of Investigation, George Henry Kerr, CSC [Civil Service Commission] Case Serial No. 5.22.55.5235, 2nd Regional Investigations Division (New York, NY: U.S. Civil Service Commission, Intermittently 24 June-12 July, 1955). (FOIA request).

Some possible language to use with students

I liked the language of "developmental editing" vs. "copyediting" from this. It might be a good way to explain to students why they have to do multiple drafts, rather than just saying that they have to do two drafts before the final draft. 

I'm still alive...

Just a note here to let all of my reader know that I'm still around. I've been working on my book chapter drafts, trying to crank out words words words and cite sources sources sources. There are some interesting things that I've noticed about my process (and then unfortunately forgotten) that I'd like to tell students about in the fall. 

I'm going to be teaching First-Year Writing, and I've decided to bring the students to NU's archives and special collections to try their hand at working with archival documents. I don't expect to turn them into historians (I'm not technically a historian myself, if I'm honest with myself), but as I said almost a year ago, I want to give them experience with a different kind of academic research (most of the students so far appear to be computer science or engineering majors). For that matter, perhaps they'll find some interesting points of similarity between the archival research process and research they're learning about in their own disciplines. Who knows?

Anyway, back to my own work. I have about 2 weeks to go before I have to submit my chapter drafts. Wish me luck!

"Rethinking Taiwan Workshop featuring Chia-Chiun Shih Chen, Hardy Stewart, Sarah Plovnick"

Need to watch this when I get a chance...

Chia-Chiun Shih-Chen (zh) is Shih Ming-teh's second wife (his widow). 

Finished reading Cold War Deceptions; now reading about Malaysia and Singapore

I've already written a bit about this book here and here, so I won't say much about it here. I'll just note that, yes, the last time I wrote about this book was back in March! That is how things have been going for me since then. Not a lot of time to read. 

I'm reading another book now, A Brief History of Singapore and Malaysia. It has been quite interesting, since I know next to nothing about those two countries. I was particularly interested in reading about their more ancient history and interactions with places like India and China. 

Summer 1 almost done! Question about writing for translation

Just a few days left with the two (!) Summer 1 courses I'm teaching. Although these are pretty intensive, cramming 14 weeks worth of work into 7 weeks, so far it has gone fairly smoothly. At first when I found out I was going to be teaching two different writing courses this term, I was a little horrified. But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be; in fact, it was kind of nice to teach two different courses because there was some variety in the kinds of texts students were writing. 

I just finished talking with one group from my business writing course that dropped in during my virtual office hours. It was good to talk to some people from my class. These online asynchronous courses have their advantages, but the disadvantage is that you can go for an entire term without ever meeting your students face-to-face. At times, I've required it, but this summer, I didn't because the term went by so quickly and quite a few of the students are located in various places around the world. (And I always feel that some people might be taking an online asynchronous course precisely because they don't want to talk to the instructor for whatever reasons. So I guess I should honor that!)

After I finish my grading for this course, I have to get back to my 3+ book chapters that I need to finish by mid-August. Fortunately, these don't need to be completely polished, though I suppose they should be as complete as I can make them. Since they're going to be translated into Chinese, I don't have to spend as much time struggling over stylistic issues as I would usually do (believe it or not!). I just have to make sure the sentences are clear and easily translatable. Out of curiosity, have any of my reader(s) had to work like this before--writing something that is specifically meant to be translated? How does knowing that it will be translated change your approach to how you write the text?