Sabbatical, Concluded

The semester of sabbaticalization is over! What did I accomplish?

1) I drafted two chapters of my book, which is what I said I would do in my sabbatical application.  (So I...finished my homework, you could say.)

2) I finished rewriting an article I drafted over the summer, and sent it out to begin its journey of joyful immediate acceptance multiple revise-and-resubmits.    

3) Two conference paper proposals submitted and accepted.  One based on a book proposal; the other has to do with some of my ideas about Victorian Catholic fiction by people who are not Newman.  (I detect a potential hobby-horse there, which I shall try not to gallop too hard.)

4) Revised an essay already accepted for a collection, which is going out for peer review in a month or so.

5) Read proof on two book chapters that are appearing in the spring.

6) Read proof on a book review due out...um...about now? *darts look in the direction of Victorian Studies*

7) Agreed to write a book chapter on Catholicism in the 1890s.

8) Wrote some book reviews for Choice.

9) Did a lot of reading.

10) Thought about an idea for something that could either be part of the book or a stand-alone article.  Or possibly both.  

I was hoping that I could do more with the third book chapter, but the last 2 1/2 weeks were unexpectedly tanked by a combination of a) a somewhat inexplicable eye injury, which, while minor, took forever to heal; and b) a kind of nasty cold.  The former issue made it difficult to read or write for any length of time; the latter made it difficult to think (or stay awake) for any length of time.  However, overall, I think I'm pleased with what I accomplished. 

The book now has to "rest" for a bit, what with teaching, two conference papers (one based on a book chapter, granted), and three articles to write in the coming year.  That being said, I now have a much clearer understanding of what the book is going to do, which helps immensely.  "Er, yes," say my readers.  (I do have to get over my desire to talk about everything, which is a bad habit of mine and...no.)