November 2017

Teaching

Compliments Matter (or, Tell Someone You Value Their Work)

/

In the past two months, I’ve twice met the same former student in my gym. Each time, we have a wonderful conversation about what he’s reading, his newfound love of writing, his dreams for the future, and so on. Each time, he reminds me just how much one of my classes influenced him to be a voracious reader and a deeper thinker. These are the kinds of interactions that truly make a week of exhaustion worth it. And they’re a reminder of just how important compliments can be.

On Politics

I’m a Millennial, and I’m Not Interested in the Lie Anymore

/

In a recent article on Millennials and their perceived lack of effort in the job market, Brett Cenkus argues that our generation is not so much lazy as disinterested in the way things used to be. Abusive job environments, low pay, low stimulation — these are all reasons he cites for this change in perspective. It’s an interesting article, though I think Cenkus is a bit optimistic about how employers can change this dynamic. Why?

On Politics

Graduate Studies, Taxes, and the Gift of 2017 (Updated)

/

2017:  the gift that keeps on giving. Yesterday, the United States House of Representatives voted to approve the Republican budget for 2018 and beyond. There are all manner of terrible things in this bill, and you would do well to read about them and call your Senators in hopes we can shut this thing down before it screws a lot of people over. Today, I’d like to talk about the one feature of this bill that, if it passes the Senate, will end my graduate studies for good:  the proposal to tax tuition waivers as income.

Adventures in Teaching

Adventures in Teaching: The Aliens That We Are, or Roleplaying the World

/

Let’s talk aliens, ethics, and mock United Nations debates, shall we? Since 2011, I have run an experimental debate session with my students at least once per year. In this debate, they are asked to roleplay as one of two alien species (or as members of an Intergalactic United Nations security council) who have been in a multi-century conflict reminiscent of the current Israel-Palestine conflict — albeit, in a reductive and allegorical sense. One group wishes to be recognized as a planet (i.e., member state) in the IUN, while the other does not. A panel of students ultimately decides whether planethood (i.e., becoming a member state) will be granted; this decision is based on the strength of the presented arguments. If you’re curious about the scenario, I’ve provided the full slideshow below:

Announcements

Mastodon and My Happy “Project”

/

I just joined Mastodon. I’m also on the wandering.shop “instance,” too. Yup, you can follow me in two places. So what the heck is Mastodon? It’s sort of like Twitter, but it allows people to create their own “instances” (or sub-communities) with their own guidelines, etc., effectively making it an answer to the hellhole of infinity that is Twitter. From what I can tell, a lot of creative types, especially from marginalized communities, have joined to escape Twitter’s endlessly disappointing reaction to rampant abuse and bigotry on its platform. Whether they’re leaving permanently or just taking more of their energy elsewhere, the vibe seems pretty clear:  it’s kind of a joyful zone.

Duke's Herp Files

A Gallery of Puerto Rican Lizards

/

As you may recall, I went to Puerto Rico earlier this year for NASFiC. This was a big deal for me. I’ve never been to the Caribbean, let alone to a Spanish-speaking country; it also preceded the horrible devastation that befell the island not long ago (please donate to the Hispanic Federation if you can). Yup. Caribbean SF scholar. Never been to the Caribbean…until 2017. Go figure.

Scroll to Top