Scenes from the Writing of my Master's Thesis at The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism (aka J School)

Here are my research assistants, Alfie and Nala.

Though their native language is Pomeranian, they are multi-lingual by which I mean that they like to lick everything.

The next post will probably feature a picture of Alfie licking my toes. It's those small pleasures that get me through the [fill in your favorite word connoting extreme hardship] process.

But the dog is the father (or mother) of man (or woman) and so I make Alfie and Nala my parental proxies and from them, I learn the value of working doggedly.

Indeed, they are an integral part of the writing of my thesis, sitting on my lap while I read, barking in rebuke when I wake up at 4 a.m. to write, looking at me with sad puppy dog eyes when they need to go out for a walk, which invariably leads me to unexpected inspiration.

So, thank you, my dogs, my teachers, my research assistants, my little, loving, furry toe-lickers.