MLA--Day in LA

As lowly adjuncts, my friend Judy and I are used to be low women on the totem pole, and even have learned to see the bits of black humor that come from having no benefits, low wages, no office, no official phone numbers, no committee assignments, no politics and no status.  So I was surprised when the august association of the Modern Language Association sent out an email inviting us lower-than-lows to their annual convention in LA.  Show this letter, they said, and you'll get a free one-day pass.

We decided to take a shot right in front of the poster, to prove we were there (we're using this as our "Professional Development" hours at the end of the semester).

After two energetic sessions, we slipped out for some lunch/dinner at the local Wolfgang Puck's--in the LA Live Center--really a plaza right next door to the Staples Center with big screens, cool lights in the trees and a nice ambiance.

It was an interesting day filled with contradictions, thought, interesting challenges, a call to labor activism (although I'm pretty sure the speaker meant the Real Teachers, not us) and a workshop or two on Digital Humanities.  We broke away from a few minutes to grab some linner (or dunch) to bolster ourselves for the upcoming sessions, and to rehash the ones we'd been to.

 

Since this is my blog, you know there has to be a picture of the meal.  

This pizza had goat cheese, sun-dried tomato halves, kalamata olives all adorned with prosciutto and bits of basil (I think).

 

As we walked, we enjoyed the sunset, the lights with their drippy lights and having a day away to think about all things MLA.  And that's not only how to list sources for your research paper.

 

Huge fake leaf shapes with fake shadows.

One of the fun things was throughout the day was receiving lots of text messages, phone messages, emails wishing me a Happy Birthday. Thank you all for your birthday wishes--sorry I wasn't always able to answer the phone immediately.

Judy had planned ahead (not surprisingly) and when we got back to the car after a long day, she whipped out a covered cake pan, and presented me with this Happy Birthday plate and cake.  She sang to me, then we enjoyed a sweet treat.  Thanks!