Mark D. White

Oh, don't cry, Superman—it'll be OK.

I've decided to end this little experiment in giving periodic updates on my projects and activity. It was originally meant as a precommitment device, relying on social scaffolding to make sure I kept up my activity, especially blogging, but it wasn't effective (obviously!). After a while, what I did have to report seems like naked self-promotion or bragging—which is ironic, since I had less and less to report.

For now on, I will maintain an activity page on this site with a list of current projects as well as forthcoming and recent publications, which you can check periodically if you're so inclined. But I no longer want to draw attention to them. I hope to use this blog for personal reflections of academia, writing, and publishing, beginning with some thoughts about self-promotion itself (something with which I'm growing less and less comfortable).

So, as Count Basie said, "one more time…"

The last several months have been busy, with May taken up with the end of the spring semester and the Law and Society Association meetings, and June dedicated almost solely to writing and editing—much of which was spent on correcting the proofs and constructing the index for The Illusion of Well-Being: Economic Policymaking Based on Respect and Responsiveness, which comes out in September. I have some thoughts about a follow-up book, which will be the third in a "trilogy" that began with The Manipulation of Choice, with the common theme of respect for individuals' pursuit of their interests, free from interference or coercion other than that necessary to ensure equal freedom for all. In the meantime, I hope to have a dedicated page on the site for The Illusion of Well-Being soon (UPDATE: the page is here), including fantastic endorsements from Richard Epstein and Peter Boettke.

In disappointing news, I decided to table my monograph on law and social economics that I was supposed to finish this spring. As the deadline drew closer, I found I could not write the book I wanted to write at anywhere near the level of quality it deserved. My editor at Palgrave was amazingly understanding, and we agreed to turn it into a longterm project, one to be developed over time rather than driven by a schedule. (I have issues with deadlines also, which I hope to explore later.)

However, the edited volume on law and social economics, planned as a companion to my monograph, is well on track to be completed this summer (and on time!). Work on edited volumes on the insanity defense and economics-and-virtue-ethics are also proceeding well. I'm also awaiting word on a new book series and initial edited volume for it.

Since my last update, I also revised my chapter on law-and-economics for the second edition of The Elgar Companion to Social Economics; drafted a chapter for an edited volume on Marvel Comics' Civil War storyline; and started a paper on happiness policy for the Mercatus Center, with whom I'm thrilled to be working. The rest of the summer will be spent planning and writing papers for special issues/conferences on externalities and antitrust, as well as for presentations at the APA Eastern meeting in late December and the ASE/ASSA meetings in early January. I did cancel on several fall conferences, including one that was right up on the alley of my book Kantian Ethics and Economics, but that was for scheduling reasons than anything else—though it did take a bit of pressure off the writing schedule.

In philosopy-and-pop-culture news, a new website for the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series was launched last month, including a blog, edited by me and Bill Irwin, featuring original essays and news on breaking pop culture topics. Closer to home, Wiley Blackwell engaged the services of a publicist for The Virtues of Captain America, resulting in one or two radio and print interviews a week for the last month or so, with more to come. Finally, I am one signature away from a second sole-authored book on a superhero for Wiley Blackwell—too early for details, but I'm very much looking forward to doing another book like the Cap one. (I also have thoughts for other writing on superheroes, with the format yet to be decided.)

Finally, my online activity has been practically nil, with just two posts for Psychology Today: "The Pros and Cons of Dating Deal Breakers" (May 30) and "Is Divorce a Failure?" (June 28). I actually have several ideas for new PT posts, so keep an eye out—on Twitter, preferably, not here, not anymore.