Trust me, I know the feeling well. You get home from work, exhausted, and the last thing you want to do is go to the gym, go for a walk, or cook; you want to watch TV, or worse, social media.

The trick? Do something that makes you feel better when you are done, visualize the result: a better body, a delicious dinner, or pretty much any result is better than any time spent on the couch.

Something that motivates me is getting to publish in an academic journal. It is difficult for me to write academically—I much prefer this light stuff—but seeing your article published is a dopamine hit that no amount of “likes” can match. In my six years here, this is my third article published (check out the other two here and here). Sure, it takes me about 2 years per article. I know that for academics at big research universities, publishing is their job; they have to publish day in and day out, so it is not a big deal for them. But I am not at a research university; I do this for fun, not for work.

This article explores how three young, up-and-coming Basques borrowed Francisco de Isla’s name to promote their book. In the article, I prove that Isla is not the real author of the book, even though it is still attributed to him, and explain how, by doing so, the three Basque authors are actually paying homage to him.

Below is the abstract. You can find the article through the usual academic databases! Enjoy!!

PS: If you do not have access to academic databases, message me for a copy of the article.

PS: Oh, and thanks to Sister Mary for another great photo!