I Had A Shoggoth

Thanks for the silly, wonderful suggestion, Josh. Similar:The girl as Gimli, Legolas, Aragorn and Thorin. #proudofthegirl #notentirelysurewhy #still…AestheticsBlogging is NOT Analog Writing in Digital SpacesBlogging in education is about quality a…CybercultureI was part of a nerve-racking, thrilling attempt to break a world record I drove the girl and myself to the Pal…AestheticsTopical Satire Is Not…

Global Warming: A Tale of Two Writers

While the Church gets a lot of guff for its skeptical responses to Galileo’s astronomical findings, some Jesuit astronomers not only listened to his ideas but repeated his observations, and some university faculty members flatly refused to look through a telescope. Simplistic representations of scientific issues, with heroes and villains, make good stories, but rarely…

Recent Teaching

Spring 2009 LA101: Seminar in Thinking & Writing EL200: Media Lab & Setonian EL267: American Literature 1915-Present EL312: Literary Criticism Fall, 2008 LA100: Basic Composition EL200: Media Lab & Advising of The Setonian EL236: Writing for the Internet EL405: Mew Media Projects Spring, 2008 EL150: Intro to Literary Study EL200: Media Lab & Advising of…

Classic Teaching

Fall, 2006 LA 100: Freshman Composition EL 236: Writing for the Internet EL 405: New Media Projects EL200 & Advising of The Setonian Spring, 2006 EL 150: Intro to Literary Study EL 250: Videogaming Culture and Theory EL 267: American Literature, 1915-Present Advising of The Setonian Fall, 2005 EL 266: American Literature, 1800-1915 EL 227:…

Austenbook

Austenbook (Pride and Prejudice, as it would appear if all the characters interacted on Facebook.) Similar:The Problem with Quotes on the InternetAmusingRobot wars: 100 years on, it's time to reboot Karel ÄŒapek's RURI was honored to play Alquist in Artisti…BooksAfter Hours – Why The Star Trek Universe is Secretly HorrifyingAfter Hours – Why The Star…

The story of a literary hoax; or, how Elizabeth Pepys came to be quoted on "turds that do fly"

A wonderful post by Whitney Anne Trettien, who examines the reception of a feminist spoof of Pepys famous diary, in order to explore the strange human desire to trust those who reveal shameful private failures. (That is, unless her whole blog is just another learned example of a literary spoof, and I’m being too trusting…

A WELL HOUSE FOR A LARGE SPRING

I was digging through my archives and came across this e-mail from caver and author Roger Brucker, responding to my request for anything he might remember about the well house — described so vaguely in Will Crowther’s 1976 game “Colossal Cave Adventure,” but such a real-seeming place. The wellhouse was one of a series of…

The day the music died

A nicely done feature on the closure of the last player-piano roll manufacturer. One machine dates back to the 1880s when it was used to make shoes, and for the past 100 years has made the tabs with brass eyelets used to hook the roll into a piano. There are also aging machines to perforate…

Star Wars One Line at a Time

Nick Montfort just e-mailed a link to his brilliant textual interpretation of Star Wars. Great use of characters in a purely linear narrative environment. Similar:Understanding Poetry INCIDENTAL COMICS: Understanding Poetr…CultureThesis Critique Activity: Another Use of a Class-edited Google DocA few weeks ago, I had students in my up…AcademiaWhat Is Life Like For an Amazon Worker?You…

File:ADVENT — Will Crowther's original version.png – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gaah! Is there anyone out there who’s experienced with Wikipedia templates, who can help me resolve this mess? I uploaded a screenshot of Will Crowther’s original Colossal Cave Adventure (freeware, c. 1976), but the Wikipedia copyright-protection policies are written for current programs (where the visuals are much more important). Licensing This is a screenshot of…