There’s something about the academic life
that makes Fall start in August
and days-off nonexistent.
Sometimes Steve Earle on itunes
and a jelly jar full of whiskey
redeems an entire day
spent typing and backspacing
and chewing tops off pens.
But then I look around me
at the potted plants and dogs sleeping
on the floor and wonder
if there’s something lazy about the whole thing.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Almost Fall
Got a lot of fall semester plans/ideas in the pipeline...trying to organize my first ever ENGL 101 syllabus, prepare for my own classes that are about to start, and study for my rhetoric comps that are coming up way too soon. As all of this bubbles below the surface of August, I can't help but want to give some love to the (overgrown but prospering) garden and run around in the woods with Tiger. In the Winter, writing, planning, and thinking things through to (some semblance of) a conclusion seem to come quite naturally...but the Summer brain is so hard to tame. And I must admit that it is awfully hot for trying to spend hours of every day immersed in words/ideas. This is where true discipline really needs to take over...right when it's strongest oppositional forces are flourishing.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Learning How To Live For A Living
So, I just encountered the best student paper I have seen in my illustrious 6-week teaching career. It was titled 'Learning how to Live for a Living,' and began with this awesome quote from Charlie Chaplin:
"Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost."
I won't quote the paper itself without permission, but it was really sharp...
Made my night.
"Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost."
I won't quote the paper itself without permission, but it was really sharp...
Made my night.
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