CDH Celebrates Kate Carpenter! 💙

By CDH Staff

CDH staff members only have praise for Kate, who completed her tenure as Graduate Public Writing Fellow in January 2021.

Newsletter editor was the first position I was responsible for hiring at the CDH. When we wrote up the job description, it basically included a wish list of skills and attributes that we never actually thought could all be brought by a single person. And then we met Kate! Kate was an incredible writer, an astute editor, had an eye for what makes a great story, and brought newsroom experience to the job. Over a couple quick months, Kate made the newsletter her own, redesigning the layout, organization, and workflow for its publication. Kate also quickly developed a reputation as everyone's favorite editor around the CDH — she became the first stop for the first draft of all our best ideas. The fact that she did this all while in the first year of her PhD program is even more impressive. The importance of what Kate brought to the CDH really hit home when we went remote. With everyone working separately, it was so easy to lose track of one another. Kate found a way to knit together all of our ideas and efforts, to keep us together. And she did it in a way that perfectly brought out the feel of who we are as a group. Kate really captured the CDH house voice. Kate: we wish you all the best with your general exams, with the rest of your PhD program, and we can't wait to read the work that you produce. And don't be a stranger, you're welcome at the CDH any time! — GW

A faculty member from your department passed the following advice about generals, which was given to him before he took a similar exam: "Don't answer like you would answer. Answer like a clever person would answer." Fortunately, you, Kate, are a clever person. It's been fun working with you! Good luck! — CV

Kate Carpenter created a position (Public Writing Fellow) that we’ll now be looking to fill -- it’s a rare person who can come in and start a new job and then show us all that it’s a job we really need to have filled! We can only hope that other graduate students rise to the level of Kate’s fantastic writing and editorial skills. She would be welcome back in a heartbeat. — MM

There are so many great things to say about Kate as a collaborator--especially about how she's always able to take whatever you say and somehow make it come out sounding clear, concise, and eloquent--but I'd like to take a second to appreciate Kate as someone who is warm and supportive, as well as smart and  funny, outside the work environment. Thanks to the pandemic, most of our interactions have been virtual, but the last time I saw Kate she gave me a chemo care package that had tasty ginger candies and the best pair of huge, fluffy socks. I wear those socks (sometimes over other socks) nearly every time and I get a lot of envious compliments on them. Since going virtual, Kate and I have also become good Twitter friends. I can especially count on her to encourage my rewatching  of "Gilmore Girls" and to engage in the very serious work of discussing it with me in detail. (Did we agree that the show's most shocking moment was when Rory dropped out of Yale?) Kate is a beautiful writer but also a beautiful person. I'm so glad to have had the chance to get to know her through this position, and I look forward to more bonding over hot takes on 20-year-old  TV shows. — RM

My first experience collaborating with Kate was when I wrote the “Coding with Unknowns” piece for the newsletter. I was so grateful for the editorial guidance and help that she and Grant provided (I’m always glad to have someone make my writing sound better!), and I was surprised that Kate didn’t want or expect to be credited for the editorial work. — RSK

Remember when Kate’s question about email valedictions went viral on twitter?! Best, RSK

Study Break Ideas

if your study break happens to be a nap, https://sleepyti.me/ is handy. it does a rough calculation based on average sleep cycle length to tell you when to set the alarm for if you want to go to bed right now (or alternatively when you should go to sleep if you need to be up by a certain time). helps prevent the “oh god what year is it” effect when you’re woken up by an alarm in the middle of deep sleep. — NB

Give yourself permission to relax and have breaks! That’s my number one idea or tip, though I really don’t have a ton of advice on how to do it. Also try to avoid the pressure to turn your hobbies into work, it’s good to have side interests that give your brain a break. Anyways, I have no idea if you like dance parties (although who doesn’t?!) but lately I’ve been doing home workouts with 305 Fitness https://305fitness.com/ which is a very millenial/gen z version of Zumba but is a lot of fun. — ZL

Playing video games can be a nice change from studying; use a different part of your brain, solve a challenge, compete (and then stop!). Give yourself a mental break with these 6 soothing games. (My current game of choice is Mario Kart Tour.) People also say coloring is a good way to zone out and unwind; check out #ColorOurCollections downloads from the Color Our Collections | National Archives and New York Academy of Medicine, which includes bird-themed pages from PUL collections. — RSK

[The guy in my meditation app never uses the imperative mood (take a deep breath), only the present continuous (taking a deep breath). It's a little strange but I find it very soothing so I'm going to try it here.] Taking a walk around your neighborhood while listening to the novelist Hari Kunzru's podcast, Into the Zone. The tagline is "a show about opposites," but it's also a masterclass in how good storytelling can knit together incredibly different topics: Druids, Lil Nas X, Adorno, audio compression, etc. Taking inspiration for your new ventures into podcasting! — GW

In keeping with my comment above I am going to recommend rewatching “Gilmore Girls” since it is kind of like hanging out with friends. Or fill in the gaps in your 2000s knowledge by watching one of my other favorites, “Buffy” or “Veronica Mars.” And if you’re not a TV person I can recommend picking a random party trick to learn to impress your friends on Zoom. Personally, I honed my tarot-reading skills. — RM

Absolutely cultivate a way to relax, some ritual. Whether it’s singing really loudly in a car, making a bath with tea and candles, baking, whatever helps you take your mind off of things. It’s important to rest your eyes and your brain. — MM
 

If you don’t already, I would suggest that you try knitting with wooden needles, it’s so relaxing and addictive :D. I would also suggest playing with resistance loop exercise bands, they are so entertaining, you can play your favorite music and just give yourself to the rhythm, and the next thing you know you’ve choreographed a dance. :)) — GD

Upcoming Events 

The public library is always a hub of activity, even when virtual. And Princeton Online covers absolutely everything! And here is a list of things to do once we all get vaccinated! — ES

Not Princeton specific, but here’s a list of Spring 2021 DH events compiled by Melanie Walsh that might be of interest. — ZL 

The Philadelphia Orchestra has been putting on some amazing digital events, including a series where musicians visit local stores/cafes/spaces and talk about music. One in that series coming up will be hosted at NextFab, an awesome makerspace. There’s also an upcoming Haydn and Elgar concert that begins with a piece by Princeton alum Caroline Shaw. — GW

Walk and walk and walk and walk! Along the canal, in the John Witherspoon woods, get out of town and around. Campus itself is a beautiful place to walk. I don’t know what’s open and when, but ordering books from Labyrinth and picking them up there also sounds like a lovely activity. — MM

Links We're Digging Lately

continuing the “sleep” theme...i used to visit a german forum in the late 2000s/early 2010s where people would curate a selection of “bedtime tunes” that had a lot of gems. i recently found that the domain is gone, but it’s been revived as a spotify playlist. it’s a strange medley because the tastes vary widely, but there’s lots of nice things there. — NB 

I’m sure you’re far more of a newsletter connoisseur than I am but one that stands out and I find myself going back to read is Anne Helen Petersen’s Culture Study, which has tons of great links. It’s probably already on your radar but in case it wasn’t, Petersen’s a Media Studies PhD turned Buzzfeed culture writer turned independent writer who has a great book on burnout (though I would save that for post-comps since it’s heavy). Her latest newsletter is a deep dive into the Armie Hammer saga so that’s also a great way to get your mind off anything important 😂 — ZL

Do podcasts count as links? I’m always a huge fan of “You’re Wrong About”, a podcast devoted to debunking and fact-checking cultural events that I only half-remember hearing about (or experiencing) in childhood. It’s anticapitalist and feminist, which appeals to me. The hosts are very smart and extremely funny and clearly good friends with each other, which is fun to be a proxy to. I might even count this as “public humanities”! — RM

An incredible history and interactive map on Native Plants of the High Line, designed by Claudia Berger. Depave, an organization devoted to urban re-greening and environmental justice who provides trainings on tearing up pavement and replacing it with soil. — GW

This tweet, in honor of your viral one: https://twitter.com/mabbylmao/status/1356707686428020738?s=20  — KK

I think I’m just going to keep sending you links I’m digging every week -- get ready! — MM