Conference Report: SAAP 2009

I have now more or less recovered from the 2009 Society for the Advancement for American Philosophy Annual Conference in College Station, Texas. The destination, as well as a significant portion of the program, was a celebration of the life and work of John J. McDermott of Texas A&M. McDermott delivered the Founder’s Address as well as a series of responses to papers addressing his career as a teacher and philosopher. The papers I heard were all interesting and high-quality. There really wasn’t a single session that turned out to be a dud. Either I’m getting better at picking which sessions to attend or this was a really good meeting. I found a friendly audience and thoughtful respondent for my own paper, “Social Science and the Moral Life,” which will be appearing in a forthcoming issue of The Journal of Speculative Philosophy.

I had high hopes of getting in some long runs while I was there, but two things interfered. First, it rained consistently throughout my five-day visit. Second, when I wasn’t in sessions, I was working doggedly. I did however duck out for a brief excursion to the George H.W. Bush presidential library (a surreal experience, I’ll admit).

I’ve now slacked off from training for nearly two weeks. With travel and the other duties, it’s tough to maintain consistency in my workouts. I don’t see things getting much better until after AERA.

Nonetheless, I feel healthy and productive. I made major headway today on some important long-term projects. I’ve also seen some evidence that employment may not be quite as difficult to come by as I had once thought. Plus, I’m looking forward to CIES next week in Charleston, South Carolina, home of the College of Charleston (my alma mater). Ashley is coming with me. So is my bike. Carter is getting quality time with Grandma.