On this date in 1999, I first dated an entry in the collection of web links I had been curating since at least that January. Similar:Go Ask AliceFrom the tangled tale of mass literacy o…BooksDress rehearsal for Mamma Mia.PersonalMy journalism students just gave me this wristband: "What would Jerz do? / Verify or duck…. AestheticsPop…
Above is my response to a meme that makes some shaky assumptions about the purpose of an English classroom. Exploring the intent of the author is a huge part of the English discipline, but it’s far from the only way to study (or teach) literature. Author intent, new historicism, reader-response, structuralism… the list goes on.…
I can sympathize with the sentiment, but the top part of this meme (the white text on black background) is not how I’d frame the situation. My take (which I’ve added underneath the original) is that when two sources disagree, assuming that one must be right and the other must be wrong is a form…
This fascinating essay, by the grandchild of a Nigerian slave trader, explores a complex cultural legacy. At least as provocative as “Did Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson Love Each Other?” and the stunning, bitter “Molasses to Rum (to Slaves)” from the otherwise cheery musical 1776. African intellectuals tend to blame the West for the slave…
My wife Leigh received a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts grant towards producing the small-cast drama Full Bloom. She’s found a good space and found the right cast, and so we’re doing the whole crazy “Hey, let’s put on a show” thing again! If you’re within shouting distance, and you think the arts should matter…
This is why journalism matters: The Atlantic offers a good overview of the confusing fact that the official transcripts published by the White House and the Russian government don’t match the video. Compare this transcript, of what actually happened, to the White House’s version. Here is the record of what took place, starting with the…
We’re all still reeling from Trump’s statement yesterday that he “didn’t see any reason why it would be” true that Russia had meddled with the US election. Standing there next to Putin, he publicly rejected the positions of multiple US intelligence authorities. Today, in the face of blistering criticism from foes and friends alike, including…
I have always taken a neutral stance in my journalism classes, modeling the objective nature of reporting the news “without fear or favor.” I shall continue to uphold reporting designed to publish objective truth, and criticize and expose exaggeration, rumor, wishful thinking, and outright lies presented in the guise of truth. Â This fall, I…
When a Facebook friend asked for tips on teaching a large class, I inventoried what I’ve learned about the flipped classroom. For the classes I teach on a regular basis, sometimes online and sometimes in-person, I’ve had many opportunities to develop stand-alone resources that I reuse. For example, I’ve recorded some stand-alone audio lectures on…
Journalist Sam Husseini, who had been holding a sign that said “Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty,” was forcibly removed from the Trump/Putin press briefing in Helsinki today.
10 points to CNN’s Oliver Darcy for working both “when asked about” and “this reporter” into a news story that was not written by a supporting character in a 1940s gangster flick. When asked by this reporter how the company could claim it was serious about tackling the problem of misinformation online while simultaneously allowing…
Similar:My parents holding a picture of the family I took with my first SLR camera in 1987.PersonalThoroughly enjoying Collaborators at Quantum Theatre.PersonalJerz Family Tin Can Robot Warshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIBQkobPW…PersonalThe Outsiders — four sold-out weekday matinees; four more performances this weekend So proud of my talented, hard-working …BooksMore split-screen actinghttp://youtu.be/EGgeZWskEs8DesignA rare win for Dad. Culture
Similar:My brother drove my mother in to see Carolyn in tonight’s opening night Kinetic Theatre pr…PersonalFor Two Months, I Got My News From Print Newspapers. Here’s What I Learned.Farhad Manjoo says he’s a better, more-i…CultureI've missed doing this! Another 10 sq cm of #steampunk control panel goodness. #blender3d …AestheticsThe Child (TNG Rewatch: Season 2, Episode…
In my lit and writing classes, I regularly encounter STEM students who are frustrated because I won’t deliver a lecture that tells them “what the poem means” and then give them points for spitting back the “correct answer.” Likewise, when I teach a math unit in my journalism class, I regularly encounter word-oriented students who…
I don’t click on headlines that use words like “might be” or “possibly.” Journalists are not in the business of reporting what might happen. Neither do they repeat rumors. A thing is not necessarily true just because a source — such as the neighborhood busybody, a crook caught red-handed, a prankster, or the President of the…
At the Carnegie Museum of Art. Similar:Omaha schoolgirl dresses as a different historical figure each day Voilà , she is Billie Holiday, in a b…AestheticsCharles Schulz's Letter About Democracy, Discovered 50 Years Later | KQEDJoel Lipton, 10 years old at the time, w…ArtFair use prevails as Supreme Court rejects Google Books copyright caseFair use is a…
This painting was inspired by the scene from Henry VI Part 2 that Carolyn used for her Shakespeare monologue last year. Similar:Out for a walk during some downtime. Paused to appreciate this beautiful city of #Pittsbur…Out for a walk during some downtime. Pau…PersonalPics from Thursday's dress rehearsal of Shrek: The Musical. This weekend only! @stage…PersonalThat…
Journalism matters. Educated citizens who understand and appreciate the role of the free press in a democracy are a threat to authoritarian figures who benefit by sowing mistrust. It’s perfectly reasonable to point out errors and bias in specific news stories. (News organizations love reporting about when their competitors get a story wrong, and journalists…
This is how the President of the United States spends a day when flags are flying at half mast to honor journalists murdered by a white male citizen with a legally purchased shotgun. Similar:Adding detail to a #steampunk control panel workstation. #blender3d #design #aesthetics #b…AestheticsStage Right spreads the gospel of music with 'Godspell'The Tribune-Review is…
Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Nick Anderson reflects on the recent firing of former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette staff cartoonist Rob Rogers. Getting a string of cartoons killed is generally not a good harbinger of things to come, and going public with it is a risky gambit. But, there is absolutely no reason to be an editorial cartoonist if…