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What Is Genre Chauvinism?

I’m sure there’s a better term for this, and I really ought to know it given my dissertation work, but lately in my head the term that’s been sticking for the way that certain genres (which, not coincidentally, are often those associated with youth or women) are unfairly considered unimportant or even toxic is genreContinue reading “What Is Genre Chauvinism?”

Escapism and Peace on Earth

Once upon a time, when my father worked for the Department of Defense, I asked him, “What do you want for Christmas?” He paused for a moment on the stairs and answered, “World peace.” “But,” I argued, “then you’d be out of a job.” Then he paused a bit longer this time, looking down asContinue reading “Escapism and Peace on Earth”

Finals Week Reminders for Teachers

Many of us are in finals week right now, or just coming off finals, or just entering them, right now. And we could all use a few reminders at this time when our brains feel like they’re in a pressure cooker, when we’re numbly doing that math of “If it takes me X minutes toContinue reading “Finals Week Reminders for Teachers”

The Best Way To Meet Santa

The classic image of taking children to meet Santa is the mall or department Santa. Kids and their parents wait in lines in the temples of capitalism, training kids to ask for things and running everyone’s patience thin. The moment is rushed and quickly commemorated with a photograph, which usually comes at additional cost. ThisContinue reading “The Best Way To Meet Santa”

Talking Disability and Accessibility in the Composition Classroom

Like many instructors, my composition students generally finish the semester making a multimodal/multimedia presentation of their topics to the rest of the class. I love this assignment; it’s creative, it’s real-world, it’s student-driven, it’s everything I love in an assignment. Let me explain the assignment a little: my students deal with “local” issues in theirContinue reading “Talking Disability and Accessibility in the Composition Classroom”

Double Feature: Finishing NaNoWriMo and Starting Advent

I’ve got two things that I need to talk about TODAY, so if you’re here for just one, feel free to skip down to wherever you want to start reading. I’ve marked them with section headers. Or, just keep scrolling for both. Finishing NaNoWriMo It’s always a little weird, finishing November. There’s a sort ofContinue reading “Double Feature: Finishing NaNoWriMo and Starting Advent”

Academic Thanksgiving: We Love Librarians

It’s Thanksgiving in the USA, and for many of us it’s a tradition to name the things we’re grateful for. So today I want to name the group of people who are probably the most important part of academic work: librarians and archivists. We live in an age of easy information. Reasonable people can andContinue reading “Academic Thanksgiving: We Love Librarians”

Here’s To You, Steady Writers: NaNoWriMo 2019 Report #3

You’re dependable. You’ve written every day, faithfully: 1667 words. Maybe sometimes a little less, maybe sometimes a little more. Your graph is smooth. And no one is asking you if you’ll be ok, because they know the answer: Yes, and you’re doing fine. Just fine. And it feels weird. Because all around you, you’re seeingContinue reading “Here’s To You, Steady Writers: NaNoWriMo 2019 Report #3”

Algorithms and Class Policies

For years, I’ve used the same late policy: work accepted up to a week late, 20% reduction in grade, no questions asked. And it’s been a pretty effective policy. I’ve been criticized for it being both too lenient (“They need to learn deadlines are real!”) and for it being too strict (“20% off even ifContinue reading “Algorithms and Class Policies”

This One’s For You, Prolific Writers: NaNoWriMo 2019 Report #2

I see you, prolific writer. I see you there, hiding your word count, speaking your word war totals in hushed tones, because you don’t want to make other writers who go more slowly feel bad. I see you dismissing your achievements, in part because you’re tired of the gaping looks people give you when youContinue reading “This One’s For You, Prolific Writers: NaNoWriMo 2019 Report #2”