I went home this weekend and discovered that I have been editing mutlilingual publications for, not one month, but 12 years. Sorting through an old box, I came across a collection of Botkinville Heralds, designed, paginated, hand-written and hand-illustrated by a youngish me, detailing small vignettes in the life of our family. They came outContinue reading “Heralding”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Done done
The meaning of this contrastive reduplication (a term I learned in Grammar 518) is that I have just submitted the final grades for my sections of English 102, at four minutes to five the Monday after final’s week. I am now finished with Grad school. This is, of course, barring complications. I don’t have myContinue reading “Done done”
Biblical footwear
Every winter since I can remember, my toes have turned dull purple from the cold, and stayed that way until spring. This is not an exaggeration; it has something to do with my poor circulation. I remember walking around in the snow as a kid and thinking what a luxury it must be to haveContinue reading “Biblical footwear”
Losing stuff
I went to Oregon for Thanksgiving with my mother, father, two brothers, sister, brother-in-law, and fiance. Another brother rendezvoused with us. We stayed for three days. This evening we returned to Idaho, in separate cars. As we pulled up to my apartment, I checked my pocket for the keys. Not there. Nor, as far asContinue reading “Losing stuff”
Guidelines for writing argument essays (and for living life in general)
1. Act charitably to all men and women, especially when dealing with differences of opinion. There are intelligent people out there with hugely varying views. I guarantee it, some of your opponents are smarter than you. A yelling match will not win them over. 2. Be clear about what it is that you’re saying. FindContinue reading “Guidelines for writing argument essays (and for living life in general)”
Arguing by rote
My English 102 students are supposed to be constructing argumentative essays. They come in to meet with me, as scheduled, with handwritten outlines and typed-up introductions. They want to argue about wolves, educational policy, abortion, technology, gun control. I sit across from them… the minimal age difference seems acutely obvious, this close… and ask whatContinue reading “Arguing by rote”
July 12
12:40 a.m. I am sitting in a room alone with a dead man, trimming my toenails. It occurs to me as I press the metal edges together that the discoloration of my skin from the effort, as the fingers go bloodless around the edges, is much like his. Only no flush returns to him withContinue reading “July 12”
Homework
I had one-on-one meetings with my freshmen students today, in preparation of an essay due on Monday. Most of them seemed to be suffering from lack of motivation and a desire to be allowed to do whatever they want; one argued that his essays did not have to be based in reality because the pointContinue reading “Homework”
Deadpan in the snow
My first class this morning was at 8 a.m. Mind you, I’ve been sleeping in over break. And it was about 17 degrees outside, with a fresh layer of snow covering the muddy ice of the sidewalk. I walked over the hill to campus at around 7:30, and was crossing a parking lot, when IContinue reading “Deadpan in the snow”
Radiation pain
For awhile now (since getting wireless internet) it seems that every time I plop my laptop in my lap and start surfing, my body rebels. Specifically, and this sounds paranoid, I know, my ovaries hurt. A little. However, I realize the power of suggestion and that this is possibly all in my head — inContinue reading “Radiation pain”
Botkin Creative 