Alterman congratulates self
http://mediamatters.org/altercation/200707100002#1
Don’t say it ain’t so…
First things first: Congratulations to me on the occasion of my being
named a “CUNY Distinguished Professor of English” at Brooklyn
College. Professionally speaking, it’s just about the best thing
that’s ever happened to me. (Though it’s not in the press release, I
am also a Professor of Journalism at the new CUNY Graduate School of
Journalism, where I’ll be teaching the “journalism of ideas” in the
fall.) While I [naturally] think I deserve it, I want to publicly
thank the amazingly adroit chair of my department, Ellen Tremper, for
providing both the spark and the work to make it a reality. Eleven
people wrote letters in support of my nomination, none of which I
will ever read. It’s a confidential process, and so I will have to
thank them all privately. The only exception, of course, is Richard
Rorty, whom I cannot thank at all. The fact that Dick agreed, while
suffering deeply from the pancreatic cancer that would shortly claim
his life, to intervene on my behalf means literally more to me than I
know how to say. I can only hope I do something so generous for
someone someday.