In September, I moved on from a dreary and wet Britain to sunny Berkeley to work with Mark Bevir on our next book The State as Cultural Practice.

I stayed at the Women’s Faculty Club on Campus surrounded by redwood and oak trees listening to the bells of the Sather Bell Tower as I typed. This job has its compensations

I delivered the Frank Stacey Memorial lecture at the PAC Annual Conference, University of York, on 2 September 2008. My topics was ‘Scenes from the department court’ and a copy of the paper can be found at online publications.

I am shown with Professor Mark Evans, the conference convenor, and Professor Andrew Massey, an officer of the PAC.

APSA Conference, BrisbaneThe Australian Political Studies Association Annual Conference was held at the Hilton Hotel, Brisbane on 7-9 July.  As well as the the usual plenary and panel sessions, I attended an Executive Committee meeting, a Heads of Department meeting, a three-hour meeting about the future of the Australian Journal of Political Science and, of course the Annual General Meeting at which I presented my Secretary-Treasurer’s report.

I delivered the Frank Stacey Memorial lecture at the PAC Annual Conference, University of York, on 2 September 2008. My topics was ‘Scenes from the department court’ and a copy of the paper will be posted soon.

I am shown with Professor Mark Evans, the conference convenor, and Professor Andrew Massey, an officer of the PAC.