“Ain’t Nobody’s Respect Worth More Than Your Own”: African American Children’s Literature, Self-Esteem, Education, and Hope

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I asked the students in my Spring 2020 English 725 "African American Children’s Literature" course to produce a piece of public writing that answers the question of Why African American Children’s Literature Matters. Everyone from ill-informed pundits to well-meaning relatives question the value of courses in the humanities: "Why do universities offer such classes?"  Or, … Continue reading “Ain’t Nobody’s Respect Worth More Than Your Own”: African American Children’s Literature, Self-Esteem, Education, and Hope

On Teaching and Reading the Apocalypse . . . in the Apocalypse — Part II

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I turn here to Part Two of two blog posts on teaching, reading, and writing the apocalypse during a moment of real dystopia. Part One sketched out the initial seven weeks of a class on dystopic fiction and film. Part Two below considers the last seven weeks after the rise of Covid-19 and our move … Continue reading On Teaching and Reading the Apocalypse . . . in the Apocalypse — Part II

On Teaching and Reading the Apocalypse . . . in the Apocalypse — Part I

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I start here with one of two blog posts on teaching and reading the apocalypse during a moment when dystopia, which our class so often joked about in those innocent days of January and February, became the stuff of our daily lives. Part I (below) sketches out the initial seven weeks of a class on … Continue reading On Teaching and Reading the Apocalypse . . . in the Apocalypse — Part I

On Teaching During a Pandemic: Exploring Creativity

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  Like teachers around the world, English Department faculty at Kansas State find ourselves having to rethink our approach to our classes in order to provide meaningful instruction. I am missing the main thing that brings me joy in teaching: the real life presence of my students. I wanted to allay their anxiety and motivate … Continue reading On Teaching During a Pandemic: Exploring Creativity

Surviving 1607

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Would you be able to survive the year 1607 as an early colonist? Last Friday (February 14), undergraduate students enrolled in ENGL 381 "American Survey I" with Associate Professor Steffi Dippold took a field trip to the Flint Hills Discovery Center to answer that question. "American Adventure," on exhibit until May 10 in the Tallgrass … Continue reading Surviving 1607