![]() ![]() ![]() Hence in Pericles Gower speaks of the hero as “the good in conversation”. The first (indicating a kind of habitus, frequently with moral inflection) presumes more about a conversant than the second. Hope to hear back from you soon, and I will be sure to let you know when I am ready to post a review.The OED distinguishes two principal senses of the word “conversation”: “the action of living or having one’s being in a place or among persons”, and “interchange of words, thoughts”. “Finally, I have to ask if you have ever considered submitting a manuscript to a publishing house? Having published two books (and having one rejected), I have to say that the editorial process was exceptionally helpful – brutal at times – but valuable in making my attempts at deathless prose much more fluid, concise, audience focused and just plain better. I have to admit I struggled with the first chapter and hope to find some valuable gems in later chapters. “If you have the time, please send me some ‘pithy’ quotes from your book that you think will be particularly meaningful and insightful for readers because when I write a review I like to include specific quotations so the book speaks for itself even more than I speak for it. Sorry to say that I will not be able to finish reading your latest work for a few weeks as I have several pressing projects stacked up, but I am looking forward to diving into it. “Dear Old Colleague, Five stars are reserved for Dewey and Rousseau so rather than rating your recent book, I will be glad to write a review after I read the entire book and not just the first chapter. In this instance, the superintendent may save himself some squirming by having a blanket policy against such endorsements. It can be harder when the achievement is something that the superintendent himself has to judge, such as the quality of a self-published book. In this case, the superintendent is celebrating an accomplishment that has been defined and vetted by others. It can be easy and appropriate to celebrate a colleague’s successful completion of a marathon, their selection as volunteer of the year with a local civic group or inclusion in a competitive art show. In general, school district leaders have to walk a fine line in supporting colleagues’ and employees’ out-of-district accomplishments without showing favoritism or engaging in viewpoint discrimination. He also can offer to post something on Facebook or Twitter that reads, “Proud of my friend Harriet for publishing her recent book!” This announcement is positive about the fact of the publication without saying anything about the quality of the work. Those concerns may, in fact, be helpful to his colleague in revising the chapter and perhaps the book to be more meaningful and useful.Īssuming he has not posted reviews of friends’ books on Amazon in the past, the superintendent can say (with seeming regret) that he does not post reviews of books that friends or colleagues have published, precisely so he never risks having to turn people down. ![]() While not needing to label the work “drivel,” he can candidly share the concerns he has with the first chapter. ![]() If that is not the case, the superintendent should simply offer honest feedback to his old colleague and indicate that he wouldn’t feel comfortable praising the book in its current and incomplete state. The superintendent may be able to diplomatically decline if the content isn’t an area in which the superintendent believes he has sufficient expertise. Bestowing undeserved praise could eventually harm the superintendent’s own credibility and professional reputation. However, any feedback or quotations provided on social media will ultimately reflect on the superintendent. Situations like this are often delicate in that we don’t want to disappoint someone who clearly is making the effort to write a book relevant to the field. The colleague is also unrealistic in expecting the superintendent to base a review on the draft of a single chapter. Shelley Berman: Although we want to assist friends and colleagues in their efforts to grow professionally, it is presumptuous of the old colleague to request a five-star review and praise before knowing what the superintendent actually thinks of the work. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |