This morning someone asked me why I haven’t pursued a PhD in Anthropology because it’s clear that I’m very passionate about the field and dedicated to making it accessible to many people.
Given how so many people talk about academia these days, and how most other anthropology creators say they left academia to teach anthropology, or that higher education is falling apart, you might expect my answer to fall into one of those explanations. But it doesn’t. The academy isn’t perfect (far from it) and teaching in higher education these days can be incredibly maddening, largely because many students simply aren’t prepared, LLMs make cheating common, and the treatment of teachers is increasingly poor.
But none of those are my reasons, because I’m deeply passionate about anthropology and would love to pursue a doctorate. In fact, I strongly suspect anthropology is one of the most important fields of study in a 21st century, a century where humans are going through constant and rapid technological and culture change. Now more than ever, people are hungry to understand the very things they are going through and if there isn’t good and accessible explanations, they have plenty of conspiracy theorists and misinformation to turn to.
So my answer is not one couched in sincere critique (of which many are valid) or bitterness or disillusionment. My answer is simple. I’ve tried. I’ve put in 7 PhD applications since 2017. All have been rejected. This is not me complaining or bemoaning that rejection. I actually think there are several programs that would almost certainly take me if I applied to them, but the problem for me is financial.
Unfortunately, I can’t just apply to any place because my student loans are already outrageous and so I can only apply to places with funding and places that ideally would give me some kind of living stipend because I have children and they sort of like to eat things (ideally food). Those tend to be rather competitive and those are the only kind I can really apply for at the moment. I would absolutely love a chance to obtain my Doctorate, but at least for now, it’s not in the cards and now that I’m firmly middle aged, I recognize that my chances grow smaller with every passing year. I’ve accepted that I may never be able to pursue a PhD because the conditions of my life, just don’t make it possible.
But if you know me, you also know I don’t give up easily, that I’m stubbornly persistent, and so, I will keep trying.
In the meantime I’ve been asked to contribute another academic book chapter. This one is tentatively titled: Global Culture in Transition: A Collaborative Reimagining of the Future Through Speculative Fiction and Anthropological Worldbuilding and I am definitely enjoying writing it. The chapter will be my second academic book chapter, which will also increase the odds of my future applications.
Doing my YouTube shows, Anthropology in 10 or Less, Anthropology Through Science Fiction, and Ask an Anthropologist About Worldbuilding are also deepening my knowledge of the field. I jokingly told a friend the other day, considering how much background research and reading each of these things requires, each episode I do (the scripted variety specifically) is like taking a mini college course on each subject.
Project Updates:
First and foremost, tonight I’m giving a talk at The Social Study an organization where scholars and experts of a wide variety of topics give a talk in a bar or community organization. Tonight I will speaking at the Denver Press Club on Anthropology Through Science Fiction. If you’re too late in reading this, I am going to attempt to record the talk for later upload, but you never know how live events go (especially when you don’t have a camera person and you’re just recording a static shot).
In the next few days I will be wrapping up an episode on Structural Violence, The World Bank, The IMF, and How Water Privatization made access to water worse. This episode is longer than other 10 or Less episodes because the topic is way more complex. The episode is in the final stages of post production so its all down to titles and graphics now so look for it soon.
I’ve wrapped up a script for Anthropology Through Science Fiction Episode 2… only to find that one episode on AI would likely be 90 minutes to 2 hours in length, and so, I am in the process of chunking and revising the script so the episodes are a little closer to 15 to 20 minutes a piece. I’m also wrapping up the research on an episode on Sci-fi Horror. Ask An Anthropologists About Worldbuilding Has three episodes scheduled with a Mortician, A Paranormal Investigator, and an anthropologist who spent his career studying real magic and witchcraft across cultures. I’ve also tentatively booked a very famous expert on occult history, though I’m waiting for final confirmation before I say more. Resistance Reads also continues and I absolutely love reading books with my co-host Matt.
As for fiction projects, I had originally intended to launch Exegesis in August, but, after doing some further research on ecological systems, and multi-species ethnography, I realized I needed to make some significant changes to the most recent draft. I am hoping to have it out by the end of the year. I have also revised some of The Children of AEIS (Chronicles Book 5) and Through An Endless Darkness Gleaming (Shades and Shapes 2). My books tend to be rather research heavy, and that’s why it’s taking me so long… but let’s be honest, I just have a lot of things in the works. I’m also finishing up a novella right now that will be out for submission to major magazines at the end of the month about a Buddhist Monk who must find a way to stop an immortal cybernetic dictator. I have also have two other short stories that are already submitted to magazines and am waiting to hear back.
So the work continues, and, even without a Ph.D. I’m learning, I’m growing as person, I’m creating, and I’m imagining a better world. Regardless of what my external circumstances are, I will keep doing this thing that you reader, are following. And I am grateful that some of you continue to take some of your precious time and spend it engaging in the things I do.
If you’d like to support me and the things I do, consider becoming a paid subscriber on my substack. https://loridianslaboratory.substack.com/
