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:
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.
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.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017), or Thor and the Amazing Technicolor Marvelverse
Earlier today, I had the pleasure of seeing the third installment in Marvel’s Thor series. Directed by Taika Waititi of What We Do in the Shadows fame, Thor: Ragnarok has almost everyone head over heels with delight. And they’ve got good reason to be. Ragnarok is hilarious. From its absurd settings, colorful cast of characters, and heart-wrenching ending, this film is sure to please fans of the MCU and nab a few naysayers along the way.
All the Star Wars
I was all set to let a blog post slide for the evening. There’s a lot going on today, so it just seemed like a lost cause. And then this happened. What’s that? Here, let me quote it for you:
On Impostor Syndrome
Pretty much every writer I know has had or continues to suffer from the infamous “impostor syndrome.” Authors, academics, bloggers, etc. If they do some kind of writing, they’ve likely had a moment of pure doubt about their abilities, their place in the “field,” their right to success, and so on. Part of what makes it such a pernicious “bug” is the way it can crush your ability to produce anything. Some people give up. Others feel like anything they do isn’t worthwhile. Still others constantly doubt their abilities at every turn, no matter how minor. I’d guess that a lot of “writer’s block” are just forms of impostor syndrome.