My son who is taking a course from A Famous Poet reports that the class has not had to write a poem in three week. The Poet was off to a medical appointment one day, had to meet with the University president another, they watched a movie another, a film chosen to illuminate the Poet’s worldview (no, I won’t tell you what it is), and have listened to her talk – not about poetry, but about life and such, for the remaining classes.

Me: Well, I sure hope you get an "A" for this work you’re not having to do.

It’s so typical, and the stuff of plenty of satirical academic novels – the high-flying professor, probably hired at a fairly high salary, more than the other department drudges who never got famous, and who ends up, invariable, doing less work than anyone else…