I have actually met the gentleman in question and visited his
department. At the time I was there, he was a relatively new
assistant professor. As far as I know, he was brought in on what's
known as a "spousal hire," which is when a university will hire the
spouse of someone who has already been hired in order to keep the
couple in the area. I don't remember his wife's name or department,
though, and I think she has a different last name. If I am
misremembering the spousal hire bit (and I may be; I met about 40
faculty members that day), there was definitely a strong impression
that he got the job through nepotism rather than through a stern
consideration of his credentials.
He did not seem terribly arrogant, but he did seem a bit clueless
and not particularly adept at playing the academic game. The
impression that I got was that he was not terribly attached to this
job, but since his wife was here, he was making the best of it. His
fiction did not come up except in passing, and he didn't mention
any awards. Had I but known...
Sadly, this guy's problems are just the tip of the iceberg for that
particular department. I couldn't get out of town fast enough.
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