ABSTRACT
The thought of rereading one’s own publications will, for many an academic, bring up a sense of dread. A critical streak often comes naturally to those who go into academia, so such an activity might easily yield a renewed impression of all that is ‘wrong’ with our work. Past writing that didn’t come out or has not been received as we’d hoped, may also stand as a painful reminder that we haven’t yet ‘lived up to our potential’. Add to this the tendency in academic circles to cheapen all but the most prestigious and well-cited publications – relegating them to ‘just another line on the CV’ – and it is clear why we might sooner downplay or disown completed work than bring a sense of care and wonder to it. This chapter tells of an attempt to change this in my own case, by treating a motley crew of publications as ‘matters of care’. I found this surprisingly generative and helpful as a practice of self-acceptance and self-discovery, allowing me to stand more strongly in my unfolding story as a researcher/writer. I recommend this practice to others as an exercise in vocation, and a recovering of care that benefits self and others.
