The transcendent inequalities of the academic conference, so fixed in the minds of both the junket winners and the poor saps who pay and pay, may have already spawned a new raison d'etre for the entire academic establishment. The night I returned from the conference, my Mom called to see how things went. Posed to this card-carrying underachiever, the question seemed absurd. I'm one of thousands trying to unload a piece of lousy property. I asked in disbelief.
Some graduate students come away from their first conference and immediately throw in the towel.
I'm holding out for that phone call from one of the search committees. It could come any day now. Please, God, I need this job. But as I now know, landing the job is only a prelude to the real prize. That's what I learned during my four days at the A.H.A., and I am now more determined than ever.