Is the college essay a moribund genre? Perhaps it has a zombie-like existence in English departments, but new media students must learn to write for digital media. That might mean finally burying the essay.
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Faust, Mailer, and the Comfort of Evil
Lately, I’ve been feeling like Faust. You know, the guy who sells his soul to the devil to have experiences he otherwise would not have in his life of a scholar. Of course there are many differences between me and the legendary scholar, but, like Faust, in my striving for the ultimate meaning in the universe, the reality of of it often seems too, well, real.
The Dream
This week’s readings include Borges’ “The Garden of the Forking Paths” (1941), Clarke’s “The Nine Billion Names of God” (1953) and “The Star” (1955), and Gibson’s “The Gernsback Continuum” (1981). A common theme throughout these four stories is that one person’s dream is another’s terror.
End of May
I haven’t written on my blog during the whole month of May as should be obvious. I’d like to say that I’ve been writing elsewhere, but that would be a lie. I have been on break — a much needed break. Alas, May is at an end, and so is my break. I begin teaching [...]
Symbiosis
I will often tell my literature students that we humans define ourselves in opposition to nature. “Humans hate nature,” I’ll say, employing hyperbole to get them thinking. “Look around,” I spread my arms and gesture around the classroom, “what’s natural in here?” A couple will usually look around at the desks and fluorescent lights, but all remain [...]
Galactic Research
I’m currently writing a story that could be classified as cyberpunk space opera, along the lines of Charles Stross’ Accelerando. I feel like I have to know something about physics, astronomy, and the anatomy of the galaxy.
What’s It Gonna Be Then, Eh?
This weekend, we went out, and I prepped for class. So, I didn’t get any writing finished. OK, that’s bull. I finished “Every You, Every Me” on Friday. It took me most of the day, and it probably should have taken me two days. Writing takes a lot out of me: to do it right [...]
