I remember when it first occurred to me that I wasn’t completely in control of my mind. I was sitting in an upper-level history class, and the professor was giving us examples of Cold War propaganda. I thought about my irrational childhood fear of Russian kids. As a boy, I imagined them in heavy coats, […]
Uncategorized
Writing v. Reading: May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor
When I was deciding between PhD programs, I was interviewed by a composition program to determine whether or not I would receive a TA. The interview took place on the phone, not my best medium, and I was very aware of how much was riding on my success. “So, what have you taught before?” the […]
Ovular Logic
In the opening scene of Orson Welles’ 1962 adaptation of The Trial, a suddenly awakened and apparently under arrest Mr. K. (Anthony Perkins) responds to the oblique requests of police inspectors. One inspector begins to document the evidence in the room by writing in a notebook. This writing, we learn in several ways, is a […]
Sprouting Acorns
On my rather long drive in today, the first day of classes, I noticed that the leaves have conspired to announce the academic year as they transform from a deep summer green to the yellows and oranges and reds soon to become the mosaics beneath our feet. The University, whose former logo had an oak […]
Term(inal) Papers
One of the topics of conversation around here has been “The Research Paper”; in particular, the question of whether FE instructors are required to assign a research paper. (You are definitely missing out on some productive conversations if you don’t hang around the FE Triangle [163, 126, and 125]). Many composition instructors are accustomed to […]