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Is This My Place

By Clare Porac

Overview

Is This My Place, the sequel to In Strange Places continues the story of Susan Barron, a young academic struggling to start her career. It is 1978 and women psychologists are entering academe in increasing numbers, but the working climate continues to be dominated by men and the university policies they have created. Susan, having completed a transition from New York to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and James Douglas University, is beginning her fifth year as a faculty member in the JDU psychology department. Based on her academic performance, her department encourages her to seek tenure a year earlier than usual for most junior faculty. Susan reluctantly agrees, but knows tenure, if granted, will not alter her status as a department misfit. Susan's worst fears are confirmed when her tenure year is fraught with unwelcome pressures. A conversation with a disgruntled colleague causes her to distrust the department's motives for offering early tenure. The presence of a new department chairman, a department emergency, and a chance encounter with a former colleague fuel her anxiety. She becomes increasingly apprehensive as the protracted and secretive tenure application process drags on. Feeling overwhelmed, Susan secretly interviews for a faculty position in her dream department at another university. The academic year ends and her dream department, with its reputation for research excellence and its distinguished faculty, beckons her to join. Conflicted, Susan also sees the advantages of remaining in Victoria with job security and the promise of a new romance. As Susan struggles with her dilemma, she asks herself about Victoria and JDU, Is This My Place?

Description

Is This My Place, the sequel to In Strange Places, continues the story of Susan Barron, a young academic psychologist. In 1974 she transitioned from doctoral studies in New York City to a first-year assistant professor position at James Douglas University in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is now 1978 as Susan begins her fifth year as a faculty member in the JDU psychology department. Based on her academic performance, her department encourages her to seek tenure a year earlier than usual for most junior faculty. Despite her misgivings about staying at JDU, Susan agrees to apply for tenure. Tenure brings career advantages, but Susan knows it will not change the barren intellectual landscape of her department nor will it alter her status as a department misfit. Susan quickly realizes her tenure year will be fraught with anxiety. A conversation with a disgruntled colleague leads her to distrust the department's motives for offering early tenure. The presence of a new department chairman introduces an unknown factor into the tenure-granting process. A department emergency causes a shift in teaching assignment and an increased workload. A chance encounter with a former colleague revives memories of the emotional turmoil of her early days at JDU. Feeling overwhelmed, Susan seeks relief by secretly applying for a position in her dream department at another university. Susan becomes increasingly apprehensive as the protracted and secretive tenure application process drags on. She is distraught to discover the evaluation committee questions her contribution to the work published with a long-time research collaborator. Angry over yet another slight from her academic colleagues, she accepts an invitation to interview for the position in her dream department. Spring arrives signaling the end of the academic year. Her dream department, with its reputation for research excellence and its distinguished faculty, beckons her to join. Conflicted, Susan also sees the advantages of remaining in Victoria---a relationship with a desirable man, the job security of tenure, and the possibility of future academic advancement. As Susan struggles with the dilemma of her situation, she asks herself about Victoria and JDU, Is This My Place?

About The Author

Clare Porac is a psychologist and Professor Emerita of Psychology and an Academy Professor at Penn State University. She is a dual citizen (Canada/USA) and has taught in universities in both countries. She has authored/coauthored textbooks, scientific monographs, and over two hundred scholarly articles and presentations. Her most recent books are Laterality: Exploring the Enigma of Left-handedness published in 2016 and In Strange Places, her first novel, published in 2021. Is This My Place, her second novel, is the sequel to In Strange Places. Her blog, In Your Hands, is found at sites.psu.edu/clarep. Clare Porac lives in Pittsburgh, PA.

Genre:fiction
Sub-genre:Women
Language:English
Series Title:The Victoria Trilogy
Series Number:2
Pages:276
eBook ISBN:9798350962567
Paperback ISBN:9798350962550

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Other titles by this author/publisher

In Strange Places By Clare Porac

Book Reviews

Clare

Readers' Favorite Is This My Place is the second novel in The Victoria Series by Clare Porac. The novel picks up Susan Barron's story in 1978, as she begins her fifth year as a psychology professor at James Douglas University in Victoria, British Columbia. Despite her reservations about the intellectual environment and her misfit status in the department, Susan agrees to apply for tenure early (an opportunity she knew she should never miss). However, her tenure year proves to be fraught with anxiety and distrust, fueled by conversations with resentful colleagues and the arrival of a new department chairman. Overwhelmed by an increased workload and lingering emotional baggage from her early years at JDU, Susan secretly applies for a position at her dream university. As the extended and secretive tenure process unfolds, Susan faces scrutiny over her collaborative research, leading her to seriously consider the enticing offer from her dream department. However, the pros of staying at JDU and Victoria were higher than the cons, especially now that she had Ian Fox in her life. What should she do? Author Clare Porac offers a thoughtful, deeply introspective exploration of career ambition, personal fulfillment, and belonging. Set in the late 1970s, readers experience the prejudice and difficulties women faced in academia from men. Susan’s internal conflicts are portrayed with a heavy dose of realism, making her struggles feel both relatable and emotional. The academic setting is portrayed authentically, capturing the subtle yet intense pressures of university life, especially for women in the 1970s. The author effectively captures the often-subtle power dynamics and intellectual frustrations in a university department. I loved how Ian was part of Susan’s journey and not a separate element. The narrative is elegantly written, allowing the reader to fully immerse themselves in Susan’s world and root for her as she struggles with finding where she truly belongs. Is This My Place is a compelling, character-driven novel that will make readers think. Read more