7 Years On

In October last year I received an email exactly 7 years after finishing and submitting my PhD thesis. It was from the executive director of the C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles and editorial board member of the Jungian journal Psychological Perspectives asking if I would be interested in 'writing an article (or two)' on some of the material in my PhD thesis. 'Our readers would surely be interested in these views and I would love to bring them to their attention'.

This is a tiny portion of my reply: 'Thankyou for your response. I was very moved - not many people 'get' what I was actually trying to do in my thesis.... Please run it past your editorial board and let me know what they think. I am happy to give permission for them to reproduce any images already in the thesis, as well as the sketches and visual research that wasn't included and which you haven't seen'.

Two days ago - just as I was just about to leave for work - I received this:

'I wanted to let you know that I submitted the first chapter of your thesis. Our editorial board like it very much and would like this chapter to become a paper - this decision because your thesis is only the first part of a more extended work. The board wanted an ending to the chapter so that it is self-contained. Ideally, they would like to make it more concise and include images of your art. I am sure that they would love your other chapters as well if they are re-written into separate papers. Would you be willing to re-write the first chapter so that we can publish? This decision is, in substance, what we hope would happen. I would be thrilled to have this first paper and, hopefully, more published'. 

When I was first asked to submit I felt pretty overwhelmed but thought the board might agree to publish the first couple of chapters as is. I haven't done any academic writing since I completed my PhD. I figured rewriting it would be a hell of a lot of work and I doubted I was up for the challenge. Academic journal articles are written in a different style than a thesis and I felt out of my depth. And what with the world ending in the not-too-distant future and many of our societal structures collapsing - including the respect academics have traditionally received - what was the point? I know being published is critical in academic circles but there is little to no chance it will increase my employment prospects. I would not receive a dollar either.

Anyway, I dragged out the first of four parts I had already divided my thesis into, took another look and started writing again. I found it easier than I thought - possibly because I had already started editing and had had a break from it for a few months. It's amazing how obvious the flaws are when you have some distance.

At my request the nice gentleman at the CG Jung Institute provided me with 3 examples of journal articles they had published and offered to be my 'sounding board'. So I guess I'm doing it. I'll see how I go with the first one before I commit to the other 3.