Notes from APSA…
By Arrived in Chicago late afternoon; the 70 degree temp is a welcome change from the 95+humidity that’s been afflicting Lexington for the last month. Some initial thoughts:
- With luck, the conference low point has been reached through consecutive renditions of “Walking in Memphis” and “The Wind Cries Mary” by the truly awful pianist at “Daddy O”, the hotel’s “Irish” bar. You haven’t really hated Walking in Memphis until you’ve heard it done really, really, really badly twelve feet from your table.
- I find, after 11 years of political science conferences, that walking around the hotel is almost like wandering a ghost world. I’ve seen so many of the faces before, but can place very few or them; did I serve on a panel with this one? Was that one a prospective UW grad student? Is that one current UK faculty? It’s kind of scary, because you get the sense that you’ve seen all these people before, but can place very few of them.
- Color me unconvinced that the sartorial sense of political scientists has improved. Casual observation on the night before the first day of the conference indicates that the uniform remains substantially unchanged; navy blazer with brass buttons, button down shirt with no tie and t-shirt showing at the neck, pleated slacks…. and please, people; there’s no reason to be wearing your name tag to the bar before the damn conference even starts.
Further observations (including notes from actual panel presentations) to come…