With each other as validation, we began to articulate the real, dismal and frightening story of life in The O, which had as its unlikely recruiting grounds the 1970s food co-ops of the US Midwest. After a dramatic exit, I wrote the memoir Inside Out (2002). The book was an effort to understand how I,…
How does our 21st century understanding of mental health affect our understanding of Hamlet? As a teacher, I have for decades approached the play like this: If everyone in the audience agrees that Hamlet was sane or Hamlet was mad, then the production was a failure; Shakespeare’s text was ambiguous, and a good production should…
My sister the computer programmer benefitted early in her career because she was an excellent writer. She was so good at taking notes that people would invite to her important meetings so there would be a good record, and people would consult her about important topics covered during those meetings. My brother the electrical engineer…
Peter spent the day at a chess tournament — the biggest he’s participated in yet. He won three games and lost one, and won a trophy for “Under 800” — but the trophy plaque has a curious misprint. Similar:Daughter made a Rainbow Loom Marty McFly. Note vest jacket and hover board.PersonalThe girl will be Mrs…
I already have some handouts on writing titles for web pages and writing titles for college papers. I don’t (at the moment) have a full handout on writing headlines for news stories. In this age of clickbait (“Clickbait Tactics Drive the Writing of Headlines on ABC News,” 2015), revisiting Poynter’s advice on writing traditional news…
Similar:The daughter is in “Very Berry Dead,” a new play which opens this Friday and runs for two …The daughter is in “Very Berry Dead,” a …AmusingI’ll be seeing the final performance tomorrow. @bigstormpcI’ll be seeing the final performance tom…PersonalIntroduction to The Cherry Orchardhttps://youtu.be/8o_4Bjcfl0Y …AcademiaA picture of puffy white clouds floating in a blue…
This is a challenging writing task. Presidential biographies are a staple of children’s book publishing, and of classrooms across the country. Nonfiction for children is a surging category, particularly in light of a Common Core mandate that schools put greater emphasis on it in their curriculum. Publishers like Penguin Young Readers, Scholastic and Time for…
All of us with Facebook accounts do work for Mark Zuckerberg. Our tagging, sharing, and liking gives Facebook valuable information that advertisers use to reach us. This article describes how Facebook has been courting news organizations, asking them to provide content tailored to Facebook’s needs. Facebook is not interested in an informed, educated public that…
My kids have never seen The Princess Bride. (This is an odd pop culture gap for my 80s-obsessed girl.) Similar:A Time magazine with Trump on the cover hangs in his golf clubs. It’s fake. #fakenewsDonald Trump has a lot to say about “fak…BusinessA very happy geekling playing Dungeons and Dragons on her one free evening.…
A literary work is a powerful tool for simulating what it’s like to inhabit someone else’s life. Not just tolerating difference, or grudgingly giving “the other side” equal time; but generating real empathy for the diversity of humanity. There is no Frigate like a Book To take us Lands away Nor any Coursers like a…
It’s extremely important to understand what a wide range of people are thinking about, and that includes being exposed to influential ideas that I disagree with. I’d rather not hide from an idea that has power, especially if it turns out I can do something about the issue. The headline is a little misleading… there…
NASDAQ.com throws shade via Reuters: Snapchat is popular among people under 30 who enjoy applying bunny faces and vomiting rainbows onto their selfies, but man yon Wall Street are critical of its high valuation, slowing user growth and lack of profitability. Joel Randewich, NASDAQ.com Similar:Bias Check! Consult different sources for a fuller picture.BusinessSpace Shuttle Challenger…
Free speech is valuable. It’s dangerous to set the precedent that it’s okay to censor speech as long as you side with the censor and against the position being silenced. A New Jersey school district has suspended a teacher after yearbook photos of two high school students were altered to remove President Donald Trump’s name…
Similar:Stage Right spreads the gospel of music with 'Godspell'The Tribune-Review is very dependable in…Current_EventsZagg Rugged iPad Air2 keyboard case — USB mini socket came right out with the plug. Grr!I have not had much luck with Zagg keybo…PersonalDaughter made a Rainbow Loom Marty McFly. Note vest jacket and hover board.PersonalIt was Mrs. White with the…
Similar:Carolyn will portray Cosette Saturday at 2pm with 70 talented Stage Right castmates.The teen summer camp production of Les M…CultureA rare win for Dad. CultureNational Dance DayIn the restaurant parking lot after dinn…CultureEvery family has one.PersonalAscending the path to High Hrothgar? No, just the snow-covered steps from the parking lot… Ascending the path to High…
Similar:Progress (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 15) Kira befriends a stubborn squatterRewatching ST:DS9 Dax and Kira are ch…CultureSportsWorks Adventure at the Carnegie Science CenterI confess that I have never been all tha…CultureReporters’ Privilege Compendium | Pennsylvania Shield Laws Guide – RCFPThe Pennsylvania Shield Law and the Firs…Culture'Arrival' Is Smart, Stylish Sci-Fi About Language, Not…
Reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope. Best case scenario? A virtual reality game that is either based around Portal or Half-Life, or unites the franchises into one experience. Valve has invested heavily in VR and clearly values the technology as an entertainment phenomenon – the Portal demo for Vive is one of the…
Similar:The daughter introduced me to this wonderful Martin Freeman comedy. Kind of like School of…PersonalSo, What's in It for Me?All in all, I enjoy my job very much, an…AcademiaWhat about Socialization?Sometimes, I worry that by homeschooling…Current_EventsFolger Shakespeare Library on "The Fate of Ophelia"On my ride into work yesterday, my mothe…AcademiaLining up for Honors Convocation…
Similar:Confessions of a Former Bastard CopMedium is not a peer-reviewed source, an…CultureI think I smelled a hint of my mint toothpaste just now. Wishful thinking, or another sign…For the past 2 weeks I have slept a lot,…AcademiaUnion siege cannon, printing press, and "From Slavery to Freedom" were the highl…PersonalMaking progress.PersonalAgain with the @shu.pippinPersonalBloopers from my…
MTV recently ditched the “Best Actor/Actress” awards in favor of “Best Actor,” which suggests the gender-specific term “actress” is less popular among MTV’s target audience. I added that detail, fixed some broken links, and updated the graphic. See Writing Tips: Gender Neutral Language. Similar:Interesting use of A.I. in a radiology journalMedical doctors and scholars Raneem…