idea maybe?

I think about dissertation ideas all the time. I think this is probably normal for those of us who desperately want and know they need to go to grad school for whatever subject. My goal has been to read a ton of books. I just finished Women, Family, and Utopia: Communal Experiments of the Shakers, the Oneida Community, and the Mormons. I was intrigued by the connections between the Shakers, Oneida Community and Mormons. But it wasn’t until the last the conclusion that I read something that got me thinking (again) about dissertation ideas.

The author Lawrence Foster made the assertion that Mormon literature during the Victorian era was much more Victorian in nature than the actual “Victorians.” This reminded me of an idea I had to trace the history of the Anti Mormon (aka anti polygamy) movement of the last part of the nineteenth century. As far as I can tell, there has not been a comprehensive study on this so far. The time is definitely ripe for such a study.

Of course, I am not sold completely on this idea. But it does have something to it. I know I will probably be completing research on gender and religions in the later part of the nineteenth century. This is the first time in awhile I’ve had such a revelation (yes to use a “Mormon” word) toward my future research. I am going to start seeing what this could possibly entail. I am very excited to have an idea that may have something to it.

But first I have to get through

• the first two to three years of course work
• TAing for the first time ever
• Comps
• Language requirements
• And the next few month before school begins!Here we go!