tell them if they ask you one more time about your damn dissertation you're going to feed it to them ... ;-)

... or ... next time someone asks about them: start telling them, in detail, just like you'd talk to one of their advisers ... they will be overwhelmed, they will not understand, and you will keep telling them about it ... even if they try to walk away ... keep talking and following them until they realize that they should never ever ask you about it again.

Although I work closely to my committee members, most of my close friends with specific interests in my area of study (religions & politics of the roman empire, 1-2 century Judaism & Christianity) are on the other side of the country. I use the phone, email and IM a lot to stay in touch - we read each others work and bounce ideas of each other. Can you schedule regular phone meetings with members of your committee? I find that meeting my advisors aways gets me more motivated and makes me feel better (even when we disagree).

I think 6 pages in a day is GREAT, by they way. Don't let the "when will you finish" business get you down. In my experience, the people who ask "when will you be done" are usually the same people who think a PhD is just like doing college for longer and don't understand the difficulties and time involved in PhDs - esp. not in social sciences and humanities. You're going to be a world specialist in a field of research that most people don't have a clue about. Don't let them get you down. Academia is a lifestyle choice. You surely must love something about what you do.

It sounds to me like you're making great progress. If you keep up writing 6 pages a day, you'll be fine. I think my advice would be: 1. see if you can talk to your committee and/or friends in your field by phone regularly (like every week or two?) and 2. keep working at a steady pace (6 pages in a day is GREAT) 3. answer: "I'll be done when my research and writing are finished" or give an estimate, if you have one. "It takes a long time to get a PhD. I'm becoming a specialist in a field." 4. Don't get discouraged. YOU'RE DOING GREAT! KEEP IT UP!


YAAAY!!!!! good work!