AAR, Chicago, wrapping up

Well, now just over a week since I’ve left, I figure I should try to wrap up the great time which was AAR 2008 (American Academy of Religion). This was my first national AAR meeting, or meeting of any such size for that matter, so I didn’t know what to expect, or really how to prepare…

Luckily, I saw that the great Buddho-Blogger, Danny Fisher, was going as well and offered to pall around with him, which was graciously accepted. I had missed a chance to see Danny speak at the Shambala Center in New Haven just last spring, so I was very glad for the chance to meet and see a bit of Chicago with him.

Perspectives on AAR:

This meeting, like so many like it, was a sea of suits and faces, behind which were held many of the world’s greatest minds in the field of Religious Studies. Along with wishing I had been more on top of my own studies (which has become an all-too-regular lamentation here), I do wish I had taken the time to familiarize myself with the faces and recent works of at least a dozen or so of the big names in my field that were attending. I’m not terribly shy about introducing myself to people – but I didn’t have the gall (nor did I feel it too wise) to introduce myself saying only, “I know your name, so you’re, like, huge and stuff.”

Even many of the great ideas from those who I had read, and that I remembering influencing and exciting me in my undergrad/MA days have faded from my feeble memory.

Luckily I found my way to several EXCELLENT presentations, learning more in each session than many of my weeks spent here ponding Montana’s mountains and rivers. I had an absolutely great time with Danny and with Chicago as a whole. And now, I’m back and rearing to go – ph.d. here I come! So despite failing to prepare as greatly as I would have liked, I’ll have to say it was a great experience and a great success. So with that, I’ll leave you with a poll based on some of the highly entertaining titles of papers/panels at AAR (in my next post)…