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Stephanie Eisner, Trayvon Martin, the First Amendment, and Learning

In the wake of Stephanie Eisner’s exit from the University of Texas at Austin’s student newspaper The Daily Texan, some commenters have expressed concern in light of these reports over the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The basic concern involves Eisner’s punishment, as some reports suggest she was fired, for creating a cartoon featuringContinue reading “Stephanie Eisner, Trayvon Martin, the First Amendment, and Learning”

Models Monday: The Certainty of Love

When my Uncle Eric died, I returned to our emails as a source for preparing the eulogy that I would deliver. One of the most striking things about this correspondence, even as I look at it now, is how much of an authentic portrait of my family it seems to offer. He tells stories inContinue reading “Models Monday: The Certainty of Love”

“The Decision” to Protest: Lebron James,Trayvon Martin, and the Eloquence of Peaceful Protest

As an ex-Clevelander (moved away for school) but lifelong fan of my hometown Cleveland teams, I never could have imagined the day when I would openly support and endorse LeBron James again. His ESPN special to announce where he would play basketball, which he titled “The Decision,” was a crushing blow to me, and mostlyContinue reading ““The Decision” to Protest: Lebron James,Trayvon Martin, and the Eloquence of Peaceful Protest”

Frank Taaffe on George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin

I read the article about the brief interview that Frank Taaffe, friend of George Zimmerman and fellow neighborhood watch captain, gave to Anderson Cooper and local press about the shooting of Trayvon Martin before I watched the videos on the page. The article was troubling and the videos just made it worse. Taaffe’s perspective offersContinue reading “Frank Taaffe on George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin”

Model’s Monday: iFocus

I like technology. A lot. My gadget closet includes an iPhone 4, an iPad, an iMac, and a Kindle Fire. It also contains a host of cameras. I like both the simplicity and the interactivity of modern technology. I like being able to pick up any device and know instinctively how to use it, andContinue reading “Model’s Monday: iFocus”

Reading with the Times: The Good Wife (3/15)

I have previously written about how in being at my father’s funeral I felt like a patron in Harry Hope’s bar with so many people talking about dreams and dreaming. In my re-reading of Death of a Salesman I thought about Linda Loman through the lens of the women in my father’s life–many of whom wereContinue reading “Reading with the Times: The Good Wife (3/15)”

Happy Pi Day!

I know it’s late, but I wanted to acknowledge National Pi Day. Pi is one of the few lessons that I remember from high school geometry. I’m not sure why I still find Pi so compelling. David Blatner, author of The Joy of Pi, offers an idea that works for now: “In this age ofContinue reading “Happy Pi Day!”

Models Monday: Time Well Spent

I watched Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Whitney Houston’s family last night with interest. I thought that Oprah would treat them with a great deal of care and would put their pain above the professional obligation to ask the hard questions. I thought that she would find a way to ask tough questions, but that sheContinue reading “Models Monday: Time Well Spent”

Reading with the Times: The Tragic Hero Question (3/8)

I agree with Charles Isherwood’s reading of Willy Loman as a tragic hero. He contends that Willy alone does not reflect Arthur Miller’s contention that a tragic hero devotes himself to evaluating himself justly. Willy by himself cannot embrace another model of what it means to live well. He cannot recover himself and elevate theContinue reading “Reading with the Times: The Tragic Hero Question (3/8)”

Models Monday: Children Need Adults

I have been paying attention to National Public Radio’s book club for young readers called the Backseat Book Club. The title stems from the practice of reading in the backseat of cars, which was a habit of many young readers once upon a time. Last month, one of the February selections was Eleanor Estes’s 1944Continue reading “Models Monday: Children Need Adults”