I grew up reading books to escape the chaos of a dysfunctional family. Research and reading also carried me through four years of contingency and a period when I thought I was losing my hearing due to chronic illness. Many of my colleagues have similar stories. Whether faced with institutional racism and sexism or wondering if that small check for NTT teaching will cover next month’s rent, too many members of the MLA suffer from a university system that uses our source of solace—the life of the ...