An archived stack of papers: 'short writing'
Preparing For The Role
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 22
- 2008
I filled the last few days with trips to the dumpster and at least eight hours per in my classroom. From cleaning out a colleague’s room (nice guy and pack rat par excellence) to sifting through my own cupboards (a fine hoarder in my own right), our trash compactor is working overtime.
I’m getting over my concern about throwing away books. Your dusty class set of anthologies from two... read more
Swift And Scoble
In a stack of papers called Connections.
- Jan
- 02
- 2008
“A Modest Proposal” is the classic irony, where Jonathan Swift’s ridiculous answer to a problem pushes readers toward actual solutions. Robert Scoble’s “The RIAA is right” has the same idea, though with more complaints than answers to the... read more
Affirmative Brazil
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Sep
- 04
- 2007
Great show on KQED tonight. “Brazil in Black and White” gives an interesting take on affirmative action. The reasons for its existence in Brazil differ from those presented in America. At one point, photographs of the students decide who will be accepted under the quota system: do you look black enough? Phrased in those... read more
Top Priority
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Jun
- 30
- 2007
Washing my face in the bathroom of my room at Okayama City Hotel, a new and fairly fancy hotel in Okayama, Japan, I noticed a package labeled Razor on the counter. Hairbrush and Toothbrush were stacked behind Razor. This is a common thing in Japanese hotels. You’ll find a few of these packages in my bathroom at home, too. They come in quite handy, whether on a trip or when I simply run out of... read more
Double Bagging
In a stack of papers called Personal.
- Feb
- 20
- 2007
Down at the local Costentino’s, I bought a bottle of wine, some chicken, dinner type stuff. I was supposed to get some artichokes, but they looked pretty beat up. Imagine artichokes cowering in the corner of the produce truck, beefsteak tomatoes looming over them, eggplants pushing up purple sleeves ready to throw the next round of punches.
Anyhow, most of the other ingredients I already... read more