Within this article, we attempt to counter the seriousness that sometimes tends to weigh down academic pursuits. Although we acknowledge the necessary anchors that tether us to various obligations in our work, we enact a form of play that emerged over the course of our dissertations and extended into our budding careers. We call this form “going Gonzo. ” By recounting the emergence of trickster figure within our workówho we simply call “Phillip “ówe demonstrate how this form of play enabled us to strategically pull back and stretch forward in moments and spaces of intense tension. Ultimately, we describe this trickster in relation to a ludic logic of embracing the profane, foolish, and tenuously important as a way to garner levity and buoyancy amid the necessary anchors of seriousness of research. © The Author(s) 2018.
Joyful Digressions: Going Gonzo
