‘People are rooting for the whale’: the strange American tradition of Moby-Dick reading marathons

When I went off to college to be an English major, my father (who passed last December at 90) told me a story about how his respected professor at Northwestern University spent a whole lecture on the seven levels of symbolism in Melville’s Moby-Dick. Being of an analytical mind and precise mind, my father copied…

It’s something to do.

Similar:Waiting for a talk on preserving artifacts from NASA’s Apollo program So much to see at the Heinz History Ce…CultureCarolyn's performance as Ariel #bardinbloom @ThePublicPGHSo good to see her preforming live on st…CultureKeeping it classy. My 20yo son encounters the fruit-eating scene from the 1996 point-and-c…PersonalThe Drowsy Chaperone @setonhilluniversityPersonalDelighted, amused, touched, and quite frankly weirded…

Though I have marking and prep and committee work and paperwork to do, I took an hour before bed to touch up this segment of the #medievalyork city wall because research. #blender3d

Similar:And if my point of view is somewhat misty-eyed…And if my point of view is somewhat mist…AestheticsThe lighting doesn't really convey that this is supposed to be a slightly curved scroll of…AestheticsCarolyn is in PICT Classic Theatre adaptation of Oliver Twist (opened Sat night, runs thro…[Artistic Director Alan] Stanford had no…BooksLetter of Recommendation: Fanny PacksWhat…

Setting up high, medium and low levels of detail for this element of a city wall. #medievalyork #blender3d

Similar:Refreshing my memory of working with reel-to-reel tape as a radio news intern (c. 1989).HistoryDress rehearsal for Mamma Mia. This weekend only.PersonalMaking sidewalks to go with the buildings. Tedious but will save time later. #blender3d #m…PersonalMerchant of Venice Part 2 live, now! #PPTPlaytimeDramaAs a student journo, naturally I covered the visit from Star Trek creator…

Googling Is for Old People. That’s a Problem for Google.

When I ask my students to use the library database to find scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles, some students stick with the search methods they’re already familiar with, and they submit works cited lists that include articles written by undergraduate interns, or articles from low-value pay-to-publish ecosystems like “Frontiers.” While I don’t read every article students…

Populating my simulation with a crowd. Tweaking and experimenting. #unity3d #medievalyork #mysteryplay

Similar:Kitchen utensils for my steampunk villain's hideout. #Blender3D. There’s nothing particularly steampu…AestheticsAlex and Carolyn rehearse for “The King and I” Saturday nightPersonalFall 2023 Grades: Submitted! AcademiaWork-Life Balance, from 11(!) Years AgoI think I’m managing work-life balance p…AcademiaI asked my geekling whether she was ready for bed…I asked my #geekling whether she was rea…AmusingThe chief engineer…

Unmarked assignments. Major drafts came in over the weekend so I lost some ground but I know what I need to do for the next few days.

Similar:Just reminding myself that these moments do and will exits. I’ve evaluated every student s…PersonalEaster collage 2018.PersonalStudents whom I haven't met yet… Students whom I haven’t met yet, I’l…AcademiaComing up for the girl is another classic show: The Fantasticks.So looking forward to seeing her in this…CultureHere's how Maria amuses herself on the ride home from…

Making sidewalks to go with the buildings. Tedious but will save time later. #blender3d #medievalyork #mysteryplay

Similar:Some problems bringing #Blender3D models into the #Unity3D game engine. The pink represent…AestheticsThis weekend! GeyerPAC.comPersonalGeometry and color maps for wooden desk tray. #Blender3D #practiceThe blue image is a “normal map,” which …AestheticsMechanical innards for a Steampunk set piece. #Blender3D #greebleshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oChXOu8C…AestheticsA masked, socially distant museum visit. So nice to get away from syllabuses and email for……

I love a little courtyard. I think I’ve made enough #blender3d buildings for now. On to the next phase of my simulation. #medievalyork #mysteryplay

Similar:Challenge Accepted.PersonalStandardized Test Scores Don't Really Measure LearningThere are ways to raise a child’s test s…AcademiaI'm Gradually Losing My Hearing. (It’s Part of Aging.)During a department meeting today, I not…Academia"I don't view Shakespeare's work as intimidating anymore." — midterm reflection from coll… “It has made me more confident in my…AcademiaAfter my conference talk, a post-audition,…

I’m thinking this is a still from the cringey Season 1 episode of TNG where the natives build a religion around a bag of Starburst candy that falls out of Wesley’s pocket. #design #aesthetics #startrek #tng

Similar:Slow flyby of a scout shop. Starfield backdrop; particle-based engine exhaust; hull uses a…More progress as I continue to level up …AestheticsTwenty-Six Old Characters, The (1947)Sheaffer Pen celebrates the art of writi…AestheticsAnother delightful section of a #steampunk control panel. #blender3d #design #aesthetics #…AestheticsHypertext as a Teaching Tool — Brown University Poetry Classroom 1974This short film…

Carolyn choreographed a fight-dance adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.

Similar:Signage failure at Seton Hill, c. 2008.PersonalI'm not showing you my email inbox, or my laundry pile, or the state of my soul. Just…PersonalI apologize for this one. R2-D2 stars in Andrew Lloyd Weber's musical CATS.PersonalAdding details to a clip-art silhouette, for a project that will be released in a day or t… An important…

Each building in my #medievalyork simulation has four levels of detail (so that distant objects render faster). #blender3d #mysteryplay #design #cgi

Similar:Google's Super Bowl Ad: A Romance in SearchI didn’t watch the game, but I did catch…Aesthetics"Only You" — 11yo Carolyn Sings a Power Ballad from "Starlight Express"The observation car Pearl sings of her l…AestheticsCombined, base color, roughness and metallic passes. #Blender3d steampunk control panel. AestheticsThe girl will be dancing as the Gold Fairy in Laurel…

Another corner building. Designed and textured. Needs an interior. #blender3d #design #aesthetics #medievalyork #mysteryplay

Another corner building. Designed and textured. Needs an interior. #blender3d #design #aesthetics #medievalyork #mysteryplay Similar:Rethinking TV news, Part III: First, kill the stand-upI’ve told my journalism students that TV…DesignA selfie with a Chekov action figure after learning of Anton Yelchin's deathCurrent_EventsStudents who grew up with search engines might change STEM education foreverThe headline is oddly…

What have my students learned about creative nonfiction writing? During class they are collaborating on a Google Doc that’s coming together very nicely before our eyes.

What have my students learned about creative nonfiction writing? During class they are collaborating on a Google Doc that’s coming together very nicely before our eyes. Similar:URL Hacking (new graphic for an older page that’s surprisingly popular on my site)CybercultureI Quit Liking Things On Facebook for Two Weeks.She stopped liking, and started commenti…CybercultureRobot wars: 100…

There’s No Longer Any Doubt That Hollywood Writing Is Powering AI

Two years after the release of ChatGPT, it may not be surprising that creative work is used without permission to power AI products. Yet the notion remains disturbing to many artists and professionals who feel that their craft and livelihoods are threatened by programs. Transparency is generally low: Tech companies tend not to advertise whose…

I both like and hate that Canvas tracks the number of unmarked assignments that await me. (This number was 230 this weekend.) If marking papers was all I needed to do, this number would be much lower.

I both like and hate that Canvas tracks the number of unmarked assignments that await me. (This number was 230 this weekend.) If marking papers was all I needed to do, this number would be much lower. Similar:Star Trek Beyond was an enjoyable nerdy family outing.PersonalMy schedule every Friday this term. (Payback for teaching a…

The complex geometry on this wedge building took me all weekend.  #blender3d #medievalyork #mysteryplay #cgi #aesthetics #design

The complex geometry on this wedge building took me all weekend. The interior walls still need work. And from this angle, those roof tiles look too big. Similar:The Most Awesome 450 Page Presentation Everhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt9F7tKc…AestheticsDetailed Articulation of Feet in Unity3DI’m following a lot of tutorials, and co…AestheticsTales from the Antiquities Theft Task ForceA shot of Kim Kardashian…