While thinking about the horrors of grad school and the enormous amount of papers we will have to write in the future, Sharon and I decided to start a new blog project, which really encompasses a lot of the things we have learned as undergrads at Queens College. The site is called Emergentia (emergentia.wordpress.com) and its broader aim is to serve as an interactive online space where aspiring scholars can exchange ideas as well as research. We hope that the blog will allow for the creation of a vibrant intellectual community that transcends not only academic disciplines, but also geographic locales.

The idea for this blog really took shape when me and Sharon started talking about how useful it is to compile an annotated bibliography for our research papers, even though the process itself is incredibly time consuming. This eventually got us talking about how great it would be if we could access other people’s research in an organized virtual space… So, with those goals in mind, we created Emergentia as a means for preparing ourselves for the rigors of grad school. Both of us thought long and hard about exactly what this site would encompass and in particular what resources not only we, but others might find helpful. So far we have  outlined four key components to the blog that we want to develop, but as time goes on, I am sure that some will be modified and new ones added. Here they are anyway:

• Abstracts for various projects our authors are currently working on or those they have presented at conferences. Posting these abstracts online will allow a larger community to gain insight into our research interests and hopefully stimulate further discourse.

• Analyses of major themes in the texts our authors are examining, whether it be novels, poetry, art, film, etc. We know that this is not the “perfect” system, but it was the only thing we could think of that can apply broadly over the various disciplines we are interested in.

• Annotations of theoretical and critical works. We thought it would be a great idea to have an online annotated bibliography to provide easy access to summaries of sources in a number of different fields that can help facilitate the research process.

• Prospectuses for papers or projects we are currently working on. Rather than polished abstracts, these posts will allow our authors to present proposals for ideas or questions they would like to explore further in a supportive, yet critical forum.

Ultimately, Emergentia can be seen as our response to the intensely competitive environment of grad school, where it often seems like its you against everyone else… Instead, we hope that this blog will encourage scholars to share their ideas with others and receive feedback from their peers. It might be a bit idealistic, but rather than focusing strictly on our personal ambitions, me and Sharon want this site to allow for the emergence of something greater–The creation of a vibrant, online community, fueled by the synergy of collective minds.

If you have any questions about this project or would like to learn more, feel free to email me or check out Emergentia for yourself!