There’s a lovely episode of Seinfeld ( let’s face it actually they’re all lovely) where Elaine ( I think) and someone (I forget who) have an argument about coincidences. In particular, they disagree as to whether there are degrees of coincidence – that is, are some coincidences bigger than others?
I mention this because sometimes they way things come together freak me out just a little bit. I can’t decide whether it’s actually serendipity (and let’s not mention bad John Cusack movies here) or coincidence but today I spent some time trying to get started on a possible article about Arrested Development. As usual I had no clear idea about the direction I would take this in and used up most of the day doing some fairly random reading and noting a lot of dead end ideas and little questions. Then it occurred to me (fairly late in the day I must admit) that I should return to the call for papers for some guidance.
“By examining failures we can get a better sense of the true impact of successful projects and programs, as well as an improved understanding of marginalized or contradictory modes of production, discourse, and reception”
With yesterday’s Foucault still ringing in my ears about the “lyricism of marginality” I’m hoping I’ve stumbled upon a line of argument regarding Arrested Development and the television mockumentary style more generally that might be fruitful to pursue.
Serendipity…big coincidence…little coincidence…just dumb luck….I think I’ll leave that for others to decide.
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My Ph.D. came together thanks to an enormously serendipitous moment, when I found some previously undiscovered–by researchers, anyway, so undiscovered to all intents and purposes–manuscript material, which enabled a radical rethinking of the project.
I was terribly excited–this was early in the project–and told my associate supervisor straight away.
He told me that serendipity finds those who do the hard work first, and I think he’s right.
Serendipity is a wonderful thing, but you won’t find it unless, as you did, you go looking for it first.
Good point!
It’s interesting to look back over the thesis writing process…and realise that those moments when everything seemed to suddenly click or fall into place were actually the result of lots and lots of work!