The Sex You're Trading Up For, What You Hope is Love

You know what's just about the most heartbreaking thing I've ever seen in my life? Watching a guy--a friend--apply for the tenure-track version of the job he's been adjuncting in for years. This is one of those things civilians don't get. They think, "Hey, he's a great guy and he's worked himself into the ground for that department. He's got a paper or two out, his students love him and the faculty likes him too. Why wouldn't the job be his?"

But academia doesn't work that way. Yeah, it's not like an inside hire's never happened. But this, from the Chronicle forums, is dead on:

My favorite metaphor for this scenario is old whore/wife comparison. As an adjunct for these years, you have been their whore. They like you, they like the "service" you provide them, but they will never commit to you. They can't see you as "wife" material.

God damn.

But my friend has got a good paper out, and his students and colleagues do like him. And yeah, he's worked himself into the ground for their department. So it's hard not to keep my hopes for the guy in check.