There are many Star Wars references in Dani Girl, so I made this tribute to Tom Jung’s 1977 poster.

Why Fan Theories Are Destroying Film Discourse

Fan theories are no substitute for critical analysis, yet they have quickly become inseparable for so many readers online. On one hand, it’s (sadly) a small encouragement that there’s any discussion about a movie that already exists, instead of a movie that will open in two years and only has a slew of set photos…

The secret history of “Y’all”: The murky origins of a legendary Southern slang word

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is usually academics’ first go-to for all things linguistic, and it cites the first occurrence of “you all” in print in 1824, from Arthur Singleton’s Letters from the South and West:“Children learn from the slaves some odd phrases;..as..will you all do this?”This example is important for understanding not only the…

Spotted: the North American tree daughter.

How The Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive

In Death of a Salesman, Biff impulsively steals Bill Oliver’s fountain pen. That would be roughly culturally equivalent to a modern Biff swiping a businessman’s custom iPhone case, rather than a modern pen. This history of the ballpoint argues that the new pens cut down on leaks, but in the process made handwriting more physically…

Is this Wonka's factory, or the presidential picnic @setonhilluniversity ?

Charlie Brown has his kite-eating tree. I have my keys-eating chair. #foundthem

Dinosaur Comics Creator Stuck in Skate Park Hole Takes His Predicament to Twitter In Real Life Text Adventure

HI IT’S ME RYAN @ryanqnorth If I climbed into this in the rain to get this picture and now couldn’t get out, what should I do? Hypothetically 2:04 PM – 18 Aug 2015 Source: Dinosaur Comics Creator Stuck in Skate Park Hole Takes His Predicament to Twitter In Real Life Text Adventure

When Is Asking the Question Part of the News? (Rarely.)

We mostly only encounter the phrase “when asked about” in reporting, so when students start writing news reports, they tend to gravitate towards that phrase in order to signal to the world, “I am doing journalism now.” In truth, journalists use that phrase only in very specific circumstances, when omitting it would give a distorted impression of the truth.…

Employers Will Hire You For: 1) Leadership; 2) Teamwork; 3) Writing; 4) Problem-solving 5) Work Ethic (NACE 2014)

What do employers say they are looking for in new hires? Do they want drones who are good at following instructions and memorizing the “right answers,” who like working by themselves so their perfect grades aren’t threatened by the unpredictability of group work? No. Here’s what employers do look for: Leadership experience Ability to work…

Okay, freshly downloaded app…

Okay, freshly downloaded app, If you are actually going to force me to upload a profile photo, this screenshot of your error message will be my profile photo.

My 13yo homeschooler had no idea how to open a little milk carton. I had to show her.

How Trigger Warnings Are Hurting Mental Health on Campus

It can be scary outside the box. A university is a box that people choose to enter. It can be scary in there, too. I don’t feel like I’m doing my job as a professor if I don’t make students feel at least a little uncomfortable. The ultimate aim, it seems, is to turn campuses…

Dani Girl (Geyer/13Players)

Dani Girl (Geyer Performing Arts Center, Oct 1-3, 2015) When Dani, a precocious nine year old, loses her hair to leukemia, she embarks on a magical journey to get it back. Simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking, Dani Girl is a tale of life in the face of death, hope in the face of despair, and the…

Macbeth and Macduff Get Into an Argument Over Semantics.

MACBETH: Okay, but thou wast still born, right?
MACDUFF: No. Untimely ripped.
MACBETH: Okay, but after thou wast ripped, thou wast of woman born.
MACDUFF: I don’t know…
MACBETH: Wast thou ripped from a man?
MACDUFF: No…
MACBETH: Then thou wast of woman born, what’s the problem?
MACDUFF: I think, technically, to be “born” you need to pass through the birth canal.