I'm not just saying this in case they read this (since none of them know about it yet . . .).

But I'm not kidding about them being seriously smart. On the first day of class (Wednesday) I handed out Judith Butler's "Performative Acts and Gender Constitution." I fully expected to have to walk them through it point by point.

Both sections ended the 50-minute period in a heated debate about whether gender identity and subjectivity (and indeed any subjectivity) can be said to pre-exist the gender performances that Butler claims constitute identity.

No kidding. I loved my UMCP students, but I'd be lying if I said the upper limit of my expectations wasn't pushed today.

Did I mention that this is a Freshman Writing class? I'm guessing I won't be getting many final projects on Creatine . . .