The last word

(resurrected from the comments)

What's the last word in your dissertation?*

And for extra credit (for other readers), does that word help date the dissertation?

A few weeks ago, I began a dissertation defense with a question about the dissertation's last word.  At times it's a thing of great import--that last word--and other times it can be somewhat mundane. This one happened to be "responsibly," and I think that ending revealed a lot about the dissertator's impulse to subtly argue about ethics and technology, so I was trying to pull on it a little.

Cara, who was also at the defense, pointed out that this question is totally bloggable. Post-defense, Cara and I stopped by her office to look up hers, but now--damn--I can't remember. 

 

Spencer's is "everyday."
Mine's "disruption."

*For those of you still--or not yet--writing a dissertation, what word would you like to be the last word? It might be fun to record it here and then write to it. Voila.

Comments

[jeff]

Mine was - no shocker here - "cool."

[Z]

"readers"

a pretty good epitome actually.

[Keguro]

Perhaps a little obvious: desire.

[Nels]

Mine is "cruel."

Wow. How wild.

[Billie]

I'm just starting the process, so I have no idea where this all might lead. I'd like to anticipate, though, that the word could be "change." I like this idea of moving backwards -- it's a telling frame.

[collin]

I'm not sure whether to be disturbed by this or not: "reality."

[Kassie]

I'm willing to bet on "Augustus" but I guess that isn't a fair bet.

[dhawhee]

Nels: that is kind of wild. What's the diss's title?
Z: totally epitominous. And I know that's not a word. But maybe someone should end their dissertation with it.
Keguro: yep. telling and perhaps obvious, but maybe not.
Collin: yah, the reality thing strikes me as out of context. I think we need the entire sentence.
And Kassie, I think you should go for rupture. :)

And Billie: yes, working backwards can be productive and sometimes even fun. When I was going through final revisions for my book, I tried to make bodies or body the last word of every chapter. It became a little impossible/forced but was a fun game, and fun games are important for this job.

[katka]

The files from my diss all got corrupted, so I don't know. The last word in my book was "reparations"--another good epitome. I'm thinking that was probably not the last word in my diss. But I do know the last word of my diss was written really, really quickly, so it's probably short, like "it."

[dhawhee]

Yah, katka, yours was probably "end," and the penultimate word was probably "the."

[dhawhee]

I will send a dollar to the first person to admit that they ended their dissertation with a preposition.

[Lance]

"come." Epitomiotic, indeed.

[jenny]

Mine is "ways." Not too exciting. I was hoping for something better once I saw this meme. Dang.

[Chuck]

Mine is "imagination." Not exactly the best choice in retrospect.

[dhawhee]

but Jenny, at least it's not which, as in "ways in which."

[Lance]

I vow to end my book as follows: "cool reality's everyday disruption of readers' cruel desires. The end."

[katka]

Okay, it did kind of bother me that I had no copy of my diss--never saved the paper, either--so in the space of time between comments, I downloaded it from UMI which started making the PDF's available from 1997 onwards (just made the cut off). Anyway, it was quite interesting for a number of reasons: First, because it was 139 pages long--yes, that is counting the bib, folks. Second, because the last word was "writing." So, yes, dated.

[Billie]

:-) If I promise to end the diss with a preposition, will you send the dollar?

[dhawhee]

It needs to be verifiable, but maybe we can set up an escrow?

[Z]

Katka,
we may have to rescind your PhD--139 pages!?!

[dhawhee]

139 pages may be surprising, but don't forget that dissertation became the book that swept the field's 2003/04 awards. Nah!

[E!]

i vow to use: "THUNDER."

[dhawhee]

sweet jesus. I finally got E! to comment. The work of blogos is done.

[E!]

ha!

i forgot i already wrote the end of my dissertation, actually. last word is "other." are you surprised my advisors each do worth with levinas? i ain't!

[senioritis]

"taught"