I first encountered Milton’s excellent treatise in support of free speech when I was teaching British Literature, and I’ve never forgotten his stunning prediction that Truth, in an open encounter with lies, will always win. Given the nastiness of our civil discourse these days, perhaps Milton was too optimistic. The […]
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Here are the winners of the 2016 Hugo Awards | The Verge Thrilled that my top picks (or #2 pick, in one case) in the major categories for the Hugo were awarded top honors yesterday. Especially thrilled that good writing came out on top, from a variety of perspectives and […]
Estimated reading time: 50 seconds
What is a novelette? you ask. It’s what, as an English teacher, I would’ve called a short story just a little bit too long to assign for one night’s homework. (That makes novellas, to me, about a week’s worth of high school homework.) I found more to like among the […]
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Well, that was a waste of my time. If you are following the Hugo Award ballot, the annual fan-nominated and fan-elected winners for excellence in sci-fi and fantasy writing, you are aware of the Sad / Rabid Puppy controversy. If you aren’t familiar, or if you just want to read […]
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Two reads and one listen that are more than worth your time. I’ll open with what I think is the best of the three, though it will require a longer time investment. Episodes 562 and 563 of This American LifeĀ delve into a topic people stopped talking about years ago: school […]
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes