I am embarking on the journey toward taking my oral examination as part of the requirements for my PhD in English at the CUNY Graduate Center. This is the second examination leading up to the dissertation proposal; the formal description can be found here. This exam requires me to create three lists of approximately 30-40 texts (books, articles, etc) each with their own topic and faculty chair. The lists should be distinct, but related. The goal is for this reading to lead to a strong, well-informed dissertation proposal. As a way of working through this material I am creating annotated bibliographies for each text, followed by my response to the text. I am doing this on the blog so that I can categorize and tag my reflections making it easier to recall important information and find patterns across the texts. This will also enable me to share my notes with my three faculty advisers and hopefully receive feedback from any interested parties.  Ultimately, much like the blog my fellow students and I created while preparing for the first exam, I hope this will serve as a resource or model for future students in the program.