All entries for Saturday 15 May 2004

May 15, 2004

Me and my dissolute existence at Warwick University

Response to prompt "About me" (View all responses or all Transversality - Robert O'Toole responses)

This is a response to a blog prompt question posed by Kieran, a new feature that we have added to blogging. So I'm writing this not out of outrageous vanity but just to test the system out. Really. Just to test the system out.

My life and interests (in brief)!
Studied pseudo-scientific nonsense (psychology, sociology, media) before starting at Warwick, initially doing open studies courses, then a degree in philosophy (obviously). Got a First, co-edited ***Collapse magazine with Robin Mackay , never really understood Deleuze and Guattari. Co-wrote Deleuze And Philosophy (ed. Ansell Pearson) with many others who probably didn't understand Deleuze and Guattari. Almost started PhD, ran out of money right away. Escape attempt 1: completed Artificial Intelligence MSc at Sussex. Escape failed, returned to Warwick to do PGCE in IT. Escape attempt 2: taught in Kent for 2 years. Nearly returned to Warwick, but only got as far as Oxford University. Worked there in E-learning for 2 years. Attracted by huge salary in The City to work as a consultant for an international criminal conspiracy. Fled the crime syndicate 2 months before the FBI moved in. Returned again to Warwick as a programmer. No more escape attempts. Now operating as E-learning Advisor for the Arts Faculty. I have lots of money and no spare time, but will have another go at the PhD.

What inspire and motivates me
My wife Emma, my adopted Romanian daughter Mari (OK, she is 24, so I can't really adopt her), and Kate. And of course the need to understand Deleuze and Guattari as an ethics of non-deterministic causality.

My values
An ethics of non-deterministic causality? And BMW GS motorcycles of course.

Why the University is lucky to have me
It's not. I just can't escape from the place and now consider it home. So I suppose I really do care about it.


Robert O'Toole : 15 May 2004 07:16 |  Tags:  |  Comments (0) |  Report a problem