Last month, after seven years of part-time research for my PhD project, I finally submitted my written thesis for examination. Although I am very pleased with the result, including my scholarly ideas and the generous involvement of all of my participants, I am sure that there will be numerous parts to update or fix; things move so quickly across my specific fandom, the field of podcast studies and the broader industry that I found it genuinely difficult to keep up at times. Not to mention, I had to juggle responsibilities as a parent, husband and full-time employee in communication and media.
I am so grateful for the support of my family, friends, university supervisors and colleagues, who have not only shown a genuine interest in my work but also challenged some of my own assumptions and preconceptions. (Of course, I provide more specific, detailed acknowledgements and thanks in my thesis, so stay tuned for that...)
Following submission, imagine my surprise when I learnt that my wife, Natasha, had internalised all of my constant talking about the medium and then used that knowledge to create her own podcast as a celebration of my project! She coordinated recordings over the phone with various friends and relatives, which she quickly edited and launched as a podcast titled Really Special Stories. Natasha created two episodes, which ask all interviewees the same question without giving them any time to prepare or consider a response: ’What is Martin’s PhD actually about?’ The results are hilarious and endearing.
The first episode is called ‘PhD (Pretty Heavy Details)’ and includes family and friends.
The second episode, ‘I’m sure it has a fancier title than that!’, features Andrew and Jason, my co-hosts on Hemispheric Views.
I want to thank Natasha for this wonderful surprise, along with everyone who took part. I also acknowledge my five-year-old son, Mac, who reproduced the RSS icon as the artwork for Natasha’s original podcast.
Since I first listened to the audio, a few people have told me that they felt mildly embarrassed about being unable to explain my topic properly; however, I would have been genuinely surprised if they had been able to do so. As a PhD candidate, you hope to create something that is unique and of genuine scholarly use, but you must also accept that it is of personal interest and can be seen as a selfish endeavour. Whenever people have asked me about my project, I have tried to answer concisely (often unsuccessfully), as I know how easy it can be to blurt academic terms.
In the weeks since I submitted my thesis, I have been coming to terms with the idea that the bulk of the work is behind me and that I am allowed to enjoy myself in certain ways again, whether watching TV or reading unrelated material, without feeling guilty. Still, there is a mysterious round of feedback to come. I am embracing this kind of limbo, however, as whatever comments do arrive, I am proud of my effort and the fact that I was able to create a shared oral archive with the open tech-podcasting community. The PhD has been a fantastic learning experience and I am learning to accept that things cannot always be perfect; this very site and my other supporting projects are evidence of my practice in public.