There’s a Reason They Call a Ph.D. a Terminal Degree

You do feel a bit terminal (as in brain dead) when you finish a Ph.D.

The other day I saw a tweet from Dr. Witch Hazel (@HazelMonforton) that summed up my reading experience while working on my doctorate:

Random guy: Oh wow you have a Ph.D.? What in?

Me: English literature.

Guy: So you like to read?

Me: Not anymore.

Sad, but true. Nothing can diminish your love for something more than getting a Ph.D. in it.

Scholarly articles comprised most of my reading for the past four years, and while they’re informative, I can’t say they are much fun to read. For some reason, people with doctorates think that in order to sound intelligent their writing style has to be muddled and dull.

No. Really, no. I shouldn’t have to read a page-long paragraph to figure out what you’re talking about. Creative writers learn to be precise with their words. At the very least, writing should be interesting. Maybe scholarly writers think that since they have a captive audience, other scholars who want their data, they don’t need to care whether their words flow or if their messages are easily understood.

While I was buried under all those boring-to-read scholarly articles I forgot what it was like to read for enjoyment. Since I finished my dissertation I’ve been able to read what I wanted to read, which is a nice change. Here are a few of the books I’ve been enjoying.

The Soul of America: The Battle for our Better Angels by Jon Meacham

Jon Meacham’s newest book, The Soul of America, is a look at how American history has shaped the American present. The U.S. has seen its share of political trials throughout its turbulent history.

From the poor treatment of former slaves after the American Civil War to McCarthy and his way of manipulating the media to our current crisis, Meacham shows that the more things change the more they stay the same, which tends to be the message found in most history lessons.

Hamilton the Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter and Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

I was so excited when I got tickets to see Hamilton the musical here in Las Vegas that I reread Chernow’s biography, the one that inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Then, as I was scrolling through Amazon, I found this book about the musical—Hamilton the Revolution, written by Miranda and Jeremy McCarter. I absolutely loved Hamilton the Revolution. I tend to read books on my Kindle these days, but I bought the hardcover version of Hamilton the Revolution and I’m glad I did.

Hamilton the Revolution is full of photographs and lyrics as well as the story behind the musical. Did you know that the idea for King George III’s statement “You’ll be back” came from Hugh Laurie? Me either! You’ll discover many other fascinating gems about the musical from Hamilton the Revolution.

Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt

This is a five-star novel for me. I was drawn to this book because it’s about a witch hunt from late 16th and early 17th century England, and Sharratt’s narrative style caught me from the first page. The novel has a fascinating premise.

What if those accused of witchcraft were actually witches who interacted with familiars? Sharratt’s main characters, Mother Demdike and her granddaughter Alizon, may suffer the consequences for their knowledge of magic.

Like most book lovers, I tend to buy books faster than I can read them. But next on my To Be Read list is Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng.