The only mature student in the village

Last week I was guessing what some of my classes were. When my timetable came through later on I discovered that the nice pagan from Kentucky, Dr. Diane Cloche, was not my short story teacher, after all. So I went to my tutor, Zoe, this morning (first time I met her) and asked if I could still have Dr. Cloche and not Laura Dryer. (I think I've been switched to her, but it might also be a Nigerian novelist). Zoe said I needed to see Michelle Harrison and Michelle said it was fine. That works out better, anyway, because I'll be in the building the hour before I see her anyways, so I can have two lessons run concurrently, rather than killing an extra hour on a Monday between 3 and 4. Sweet. Laura has other classes with me anyway, so it's nice to have a bit of variety. 

I feel a pang of regret at a road not taken with Laura. She is an older and more successful writer than Dr. Diane (for what it's worth). And at this point in time I really can't say who would prefer my writing style or better assist my craft; or who I would gel with better in class. But Diane is quirky, likes cats, believes in the paranormal and will read anything, she says. I will also admit that she is quite nicely proportioned, but she is a married woman and that is purely a casual observation.

It seems the creative writing class I had with Laura (where I drew a picture of her) has also disappeared, as I've been bumped to an earlier one. Whether with her or someone else remains to be seen. Anyway, that means I don't have to write a fairy tale with the understandably reluctant student, which is nice. To be honest I'd rather just knock one off quickly on my own.

And I won't be doing any more poetry with the young lad, Daniel. It will be with Matthew Durham in the class before Dr. Diane's.

So today I just had one lecture, which was with the Romanian professor, Raisa. The lecture goes at a fast clip and there are no questions, it's just her talking about Robinson Crusoe, and I would say that if you're a confident reader you don't really need to be there. However, it is a high quality lecture. She speaks quickly, efficiently, eloquently. She's far more organised than I ever was during my teaching mis-adventure. Laura attended it, but this week was purely a participant.

Incidentally, we're already supposed to have read Robinson Crusoe and I haven't yet but I have a read A journal of the plague, which is by the same author, if that helps. Like Radulca says, his style is not very elevated. A Stephen King of his time, perhaps.

The building we have the lecture in is white, Arts and Crafts style, 1910. 

So tomorrow I'm 42 and do I have a plan? I do not. Putting it bluntly, I have no friends.