Who is Professor X?

Professor X wrote this article for the Atlantic Monthly in 2008.  It caused a lot of controversy when it appeared.  He excoriates our culture for demanding that College be a prerequisite for most jobs, even those that do not seem to need such preparation.  From this article he wrote:  In the Basement of the Ivory Tower: Confessions of an Accidental Academic.

It was hidden in a bottom shelf of a bookstore in the parenting section which was kind of odd, but of course I was attracted to it as I am part of the Ivory Tower and have learned to both love and hate it over the years.

This book is an interesting interplay of his own memoir, why he chose to adjunct and what it does for his finances and his marriage; a social critique of the culture that has elevated a college education way beyond it's possible worth, and a writing primer.

I have to say, that the combination really worked for me.  I was fairly convinced about his argument that we are unnecessarily pushing college at the expense of huge amounts of debt and frustration, his own story was sweet and well written and who can't use advice on writing, even if from an anonymous author.

Professor X chose to remain anonymous because he loves his job and doesn't want to lose it.  He no longer needs the money, his marriage is fine, but he truly enjoys teaching even if his students are woefully unprepared.

I would really like to write this man as I have a few critiques about some of his assumptions about college education.  The easy avenue of email probably won't be open to me.  I'll have to write his publisher.  I have a copy of it if anyone would like to borrow it.