Frequently I am asked what the academic life is like. First, I have no idea what this is or when it starts. For me I would say it really started in a basement hallway of Reasoner Hall at Asbury College when I skipped a class to talk to a prof about Beowulf. As to the nature of this life, all jokes aside, it is a good life for those who can live it. Anyhow, I have been unreasonably blessed with good friends and mentors in my field. Below is a bit of advice from one of my best friends. Will keep his identity covert save to say he has made his own way, now occupies a major continental chair, and previously held prestigious posts at Princeton, Oxford, and in London. He is also an even better person than scholar.
