Monday, September 21. 8.00 am: A morning walk to the postbox. It felt not like any other first day of the academic year that I’d ever experienced. Melancholy, without hopelessness. Tentativeness, without timidity. A quiet beginning. 9.00 am: The inbox would be like a dripping tap for the next few weeks. Last minute changes were to be expected. Letter by…

WFH: DAY 141. This is my last day of working from home. As of Monday, I’ll be into a pattern of on-site and online teaching and off-site research (if there’s time). Monday will also represent the first day of my final year as a full-time academic at the School of Art. Thus, the last will be the most challenging; which,…

‘Perhaps we’re entering the dark-ages of media’ (YouTube comment). WFH: DAY 140. 8.00 am: There was much to do: letters, charts, lists, and data archives to be sent, revised, filled, and reorganised. As the government moots the possibility of a second national (whatever that means today) lockdown, as a ‘last resort’ measure to stem the ‘incoming second wave’, universities will…

WFH: DAY 139. 7.30 am: 8.15 am: A communion. 8.45 am: No sooner than I set down than its rains ‘things-to-do’ in my head. They must be written down, immediately, otherwise I’ll forget, although not quite immediately. Post-its were astrune across my mixing desk, waiting to be transcribed to the ‘big plan’ that was on my computer. Draft emails posted…

WFH: DAY 138. 8.30 am: A communion. 9.00 am: Inboxing. Then, on with my review and adjustment of MA module curricula. The contents and timetable for delivery has to be watertight. Moreover, the curriculum needs to be retooled in such a way as to permit immediate conversion to on-line only delivery (should be go into lockdown). In the background, I…

WFH: DAY 137. I’d slept fitfully. 8.00 am: A communion. 8.30 am: What was foreground became background. My primary orientation was now towards next week and beyond, as Covid-19–ready university prepared to set sail. Moving from planning to realisation is a colossal jump. The recent THES tweets represent a mixture of opinion regarding the doability and legitimacy (in the light…

WFH: DAY 136: A colder night, anticipating a warmer day, than is usual for this time of year: 8.00 am: A communion. 8.30 am: I, duly masked (in compliance with the Welsh Government’s regulations), headed for the Post Office to send-off an eBay sale. ‘Stand and deliver’ (as Adam Ant would say): Signs of the times: 9.00 am: A view…

WFH: DAY 135. Last night someone wanted to buy one of my eBay items, and they wanted it NOW. 8.00 am: My ‘express-packaging’ service was initiated. A shoe box is ideal for parceling guitar pedals. ‘Bye, bye! Do well: 8.30 am: A customary review of the inbox, before clearing my head to begin work. Unlike my experience of the previous…

WFH: DAY 134. New kettle! (Chaos was put to flight.) ‘More tea, please!’: 8.30 am: A communion. 9.00 am: Studiology. Today I prioritised technical exploration (not experimentation). The samples that I’d generated over the past few days would be modulated using processes that I’d devised during my last 24-hour open studio event at the National Library of Wales. The fruit…

WFH: DAY 133. 8.15 am: A communion. 8.45 am: The weather was balancing on the fulcrum between, on the one hand, the inert and overcast and, on the other hand, a repeat of yesterday. My inbox was clean. I was delighted. So rare, these days. 9.00 am: ‘I got rhythm … .’ I’d a hour or so to explore the…