Joshua Doležal Writer. Coach. Editor. Portrait
photo of laptop, coffee, notepad and pen
Josh Doležal As Seen In. Subsutack 2024 Badge Logo

Subscribe to Josh’s Substack

The
Recovering
Academic

Notes on life after academe with exclusive interviews, essays, and craft resources. With over 2,500 subscribers.

Joshua Doležal Writer. Coach. Editor. Portrait outside in front of trees

Writer. Coach. Editor.

About Josh

I am a writer and award-winning teacher with 20 years of experience in publishing and editing. My work has appeared in more than 50 magazines.

In December, 2021, I made the most difficult decision of my life: I resigned a tenured faculty position that I’d held for 16 years and moved with my family to Pennsylvania. Two years after that, my ex and I divorced. This series is the story of my ongoing recovery, both from the broken reward system of academe and from two major life transitions.

The Recovering
Academic Reviews

  • “Joshua Doležal writes with clarity, deep knowledge, and conviction on a range of topics from literature to family life to practical options for PhD graduates beyond academia. His posts are reliably well written and full of ideas...”

    — Tara Penry, Quiet Reading with Tara Penry

  • “A freelance writer and former English professor provides his insight on academia, career development outside the Ivory Tower, interviews with people who have successfully transitioned out of Higher Ed, and his reflections on culture...”

    — Eric Fish, DVM, PhD, All Science Great & Small

  • “Joshua may be a ‘recovering’ academic, but he remains a scholar and teacher and a writer of deep insight and sensitivity. He offers so much on his Substack.”

    — A. Jay Adler, Homo Vitruvius by A. Jay Adler

Popular Posts from
The Recovering Academic

  • Image of pier and water for article, Leaving acadame is not like sabbatical Sabbaticals don't have grief cycles

    Leaving acadame is not like sabbatical Sabbaticals don't have grief cycles

    I remember how June used to feel. The weightlessness after turning in grades, the sense of limitless potential. Summers were one of the perks of being a professor. Who else got the better part of three months off every year?

    READ MORE →

  • image of sun shining through greenery for article, Does The Magic Relationship Ratio Work On Yourself?

    Does The Magic Relationship Ratio Work On Yourself?

    I've been thinking lately about John Gottman’s 5:1 magic relationship ratio. This might seem strange, since Gottman’s rule typically applies to married couples, and I’ve been divorced for six months.

    READ MORE →

  • Image of Gertrude Nonterah for article, Don't go to school just to be poor Gertrude Nonterah on life after academe

    Don't go to school just to be poor Gertrude Nonterah on life after academe

    I’m Joshua Doležal, and this is Catchment, the podcast for The Recovering Academic Substack series. My guest today is Dr. Gertrude Nonterah – or, as she asked me to call her, Gee.

    READ MORE →