Monday, May 10, 2010

What Might Have Been

A chance comment by Mr. Tangaroa, and Annabella has more questions. However, these are questions I have studiously avoided for ten years. Though I may be a doctor in his estimation, I have no right to use the title. The lambasting I received at my vivas from the head of the department left no question in that regard.

She is not the first to question why I did not continue to fight for my doctorate. Though the refutation of my dissertation was likely motivated by internal University politics, I have not had the resources to renew the process.

Dr Wirefly had found the papers I published under my name. She made no mention of the other, less scholarly popular science articles, published under a pseudonym. I made no attempts to disguise my writing style, and using my mother’s maiden surname is not a very difficult puzzle to solve. Those articles were not my best writing, but they were what the editors wanted, and the income they generated helped pay the bills.

I rather doubt anyone at the University has read them.