Punctuation is politics. I've said it before. In a post on this blog titled, "We Need to Talk About Ellipses," I wrote, "[T]he basic job of the ellipsis is to fill in for a missing chunk of text in a direct quote. This gives it, along with the quotation mark, a certain moral weight–it’s punctuation … Continue reading We Need to Talk About Brackets
Cold Comfort: The Classroom as Refuge
"Church Stone Shelter," Julia Kivelä, archdaily.com It is a truth universally acknowledged--among my colleagues, anyway--that the best classroom experiences tend to come from the ancient pedagogical practice known as "winging it." Sometimes, that means veering into a side quest when it seems profitable enough. At other times, it means walking in totally unprepared, relying only … Continue reading Cold Comfort: The Classroom as Refuge
Was Ulysses S. Grant a Socialist?
In an earlier post on this blog, I pointed out some similarities in the writings of U.S. Grant and H.G. Wells, specifically in the way Grant attributed the outbreak of war to the spread of populations and the rise of new forms of communication. "In the early days of the country," Grant wrote in the … Continue reading Was Ulysses S. Grant a Socialist?
Is “Macbeth” a Reboot of “Hamlet”?
"Lady Macbeth Sleepwalking," Johann Heinrich Füssli I recently read Macbeth—twice—in case I ever decide to watch Joel Coen’s film version. Half way through I was surprised to find how much it mirrors Hamlet in its theme of conscience battling with action. The main difference is that, while Hamlet struggles internally--and endlessly--over the ramifications of righting … Continue reading Is “Macbeth” a Reboot of “Hamlet”?
Sit Here. Eat.
In response to a recent post on this blog, a friend writes, in FB Messenger: I've been reading the New York Writers Workshop MFA writing guide which tries to take the place of a 30-40,000 dollar MFA program and there's lots of focus on essay and article idea generation. I'm curious, Do these other articles … Continue reading Sit Here. Eat.
The Wrong Font 