Mary Beard is coming for a webchat!

[TunipTheVegemal]

Mary Beard webchat thread

Don't know why they're not advertising it more!

That's brilliant.

It's in my diary and I will be there!

Ooh.

I will read and enjoy, but I think I am a bit intimidated about posting. Awesome, though!

Go on LRD get over there and post a question.

Aww go on LRD, if you're scared you could always namechange.
Go and ask her about sexism in academia or top tips for getting a postdoc or something.

Well, yes, I could name change but I would know! I don't think anonymity makes a difference (or, well, deeper anonymity, I suppose).

I could ask her how many tenner I need to pin to my Newnham JRF application to get a 'favourable hearing', but I feel that might not get quite the ideal response ...

LRD's on! Excellent question about transmission of literacy to girls.

ah, Newnham

I'm sure they're far too correct there, Pembroke used to be bribable though, IIRC (admissions scandal in early 90s).

Erm. Commenting on corruption at Pembroke might be a little close to home for me!

I liked your biscuit question tunip.

Mary Beard answered LRD's question second, out of all of them.

Clear corruption in the ranks.

LRD you are an academic!

Not too long to go, though. How did your grant application go, btw?

I've started it, but it ground to a halt. I just don't seem to have the time, what with poncing about on MN.

Tommorow. I will -see you on here-- do it tomorrow.

You see, I can't spell and I can't double strike through any more, since you mentioned that bloody grant application.

Yes: do it tomorrow and we will all poke you to get back to it.

Sorry I mentioned it, though!

Don't worry, it was on my mind...

Anyway, I thought some of Mary Beard's answers were a bit rushed, poor woman. Next time we need to be strapped into the hot seat for a couple of days. They'd give her gin, I'm sure.

She had a lot of questions to get through.

It was nice to see her saying those things about academia and being a woman in academia.

I think a webchat around 9pm might go very differently ... wonder if MNHQ ever schedule them then?

My time in academia in the 1980s and 1990s was definitely affected by some vile sexist men. Awful groping, lack of patronage, nasty comments, exclusion. A bit like the BBC by the sound of it.

Yuck.

That is awful.

I think/hope times are changing (not in the annoying 'times was different back in the 70s, so Jimmy Saville is still a decent bloke if he did it' way). I don't think I know anyone who got groped. The worst we got was a rather letchy elderly Latin (!) tutor who insisted on taking tutorials in our bedrooms and making suggestive remarks.

I can't get my mind round how you'd cope if you were busy trying to make a career and being groped by people who were meant to be your colleagues. Yuck, yuck, yuck.

It is very different now.

Good!