Recently, in an effort to procrastinate my way around a pile of university administration, I wrote three theatre reviews. The first was of the National Theatre's current production of Hamlet (1,800 words) for an academic journal. The second, of Athol Fugard's The Train Driver (600 words), was for a non-academic internet review site. The third was of an amateur production of Little Shop of Horrors (1,100 words) for the web page of the local school.
On the one hand, there was no remuneration for any of the above, but on the other, my university administration (and teaching preparation, come to that) scores nil points on the "impactometer". Ought I to take up procrastination full-time?
Peter J. Smith, Reader in Renaissance literature, Nottingham Trent University.