I've been meaning to use Wordle to create a word cloud representation of my dissertation; here it is, finally (click on the image to go to a larger version of the cloud). And here's what the cloud looks like for this blog: Interesting, yes?
Wordle
In a holding pattern
So it's almost July, and I'm trying to gauge just how productive I've been this summer; as I told a colleague yesterday, this summer has been about the 3 "R"s for me--reading, writing, and redecorating the house. I've been doing things here and there, but I don't really feel like I've totally finished any huge... Continue Reading →
Life in Oklahoma
Just because I like this whole "slideshow" option in WordPress, I thought I'd post some random pics I've taken of things unique to this region: I've included (not necessarily in this order) a working oil well next to a McDonald's in Oklahoma City; a gas well (which is much smaller than the huge oil wells... Continue Reading →
On essaying and commonplacing
For a long time, the title of this blog was "Academic?" The question mark revealed a simultaneously serious and tongue-in-cheek interrogation of my"life choice" to pursue a career in academia. I questioned whether or not the material I wrote (here and in my dissertation) was "academic" enough, while also questioning whether or not I was... Continue Reading →
A summer project (or two)
I've never been a very crafty of DIY kind of person. It's a lack of skill, not a dislike of the idea, that's been my problem historically. Lately, though, I've found myself much more interested in design blogs (both fashion- and home decor-related), such as Ramshackle Glam, Apartment Therapy, That's Quirky, The Glitter Guide, b*spoke,... Continue Reading →
What to do this summer?
I have some ideas. write deep clean the house write unpack the spare room (finally) write make that spare room livable write try my hand at gardening. . .if the rain ever comes back to western Oklahoma write plan classes for next year blog (gotcha) do some redecorating (I have big plans for you, main... Continue Reading →
Why, hello. . .
It's been a while. I just turned in final grades for my spring courses, which means summer is here for me (other than a few end-of-semester faculty obligations and going to commencement on Saturday). And I am not teaching this summer, which means more time for writing! Yay! Maybe I'll finally be able to keep... Continue Reading →
Thinking about the Comp II curriculum one more time. . .
I changed my sequence III assignment today. Okay, not change so much as offer another option: originally, sequence III was supposed to be a traditional 4-6 page persuasive essay on an issue of the student's choosing. They're building off of research they did in sequence II and developing their own opinions for an audience of... Continue Reading →
Spring break, anyone?
Well. . .it's been awhile. As usual. This week is spring break: Dave and I went to Colorado Springs for a long weekend. We went up to Pikes Peak (no apostrophe, which frustrates me a bit--it should be Pike's Peak!) on a train; we visited the Garden of the Gods; we took a lantern tour... Continue Reading →
For the record. . .
I am still alive and kicking. This semester seems a bit easier to handle than last semester, though I'm still not handling all the grading well. I am the ultimate procrastinator when it comes to grading. . .it's not that I don't want to read and respond to the essay; I really enjoy seeing what... Continue Reading →
essaying the plains 