Mirene Arsanios

I was hoping to have the summer to work on a novel instead of working on a syllabus for a new class I will be teaching in the fall. “Have the summer” sounds foolish, as if anyone could claim ownership over steadily dying seasons. What I meant by “have the summer” was, “have time,” but that isn’t accurate either.

I am hired on a contractual, part-time basis; the rest of my time is spent working to compensate for the income the other half isn’t making. To be part-time is to give all your time for half of what it’s worth. To be part-time means that a part of you isn’t worthy of insurance. They call us adjuncts, “a thing added to something else as a supplementary rather than an essential part.” Adjuncts are supplemental, inessential. My participation in academia is absolutely essential. (To the maintenance of a disposable workforce).