Category: Opinions/Editorials
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My Long Lie and J.R.R. Tolkien
When Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings finished, I made up my mind to finally read the books. I was but a few years out of college in 2001 when the adaptations began, and never previously enjoyed the occasion to read the source material. But, I fully intended to rectify that oversight. Thus, I…
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Do Me a Solid and Show Some Love To a Teacher
I’ve taught high school English for twelve years. I happen to work in a great district, my pay is nice, my hours are good, my benefits are adequate, and the vacations are ample. Best of all? I get to have a positive impact upon the world on a daily basis. I have the opportunity to…
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A Few Words About Troy Marcy Photography
I’ve had the honor of following Troy Marcy’s work for several years now, and I can, without hesitation, attest to the fact that this man is a true artist, a student of the craft, and an ethical person. Furthermore, he’s a good friend. Troy’s passion for photography is evident with each and every photograph he…
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Check out “Hey Oscar Wilde! It’s Clobberin’ Time”
Two of my favorite things in this world, art and literature, come together in a perfect union surpassed only by chocolate and peanut butter. “Hey Oscar Wilde! It’s Clobberin’ Time” is a website compiling several renowned artists’ renderings of beloved literary characters and authors. There’s even an occasional excursion into nonliterary pop culture (such as Howard Stern). …
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Why I Quit AMC’s The Walking Dead
I’ll be honest with you, when AMC’s The Walking Dead came out, I touted it as the next L O S T. The acting wasn’t superb, but the production was magnificent, the effects breathtaking, and the storylines captivating. It thrilled me on a weekly basis, made my palms sweat, and kept me coming back for…
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Jupiter Ascending, the Wachowskis, and My Proclamation
Several months ago I proclaimed that I would, from that moment forth, see all theatrical releases from a select group of directors. The Wachowskis were included in that group. So when I heard they had a new movie due in 2014, Jupiter Ascending, I naturally became very excited and started lining up babysitters. And then…
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The Bat Tie Clip
I have many passions in life, but two of them are rather obvious to people at work: Batman and ties. So when a college student intern gave me a gift in order to thank me for her time in my classroom, she decided to combine the two! Thus, you see the amazing gift below ……
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Check Out The Towers by Jordan Jeffers
A few years ago I had the honor of participating in a graduate level creative writing class with Jordan Jeffers. Not only was Jordan an incredibly pleasant person, but he also regularly blew me away with his writing. When I heard he had written a book, I knew I had to read it. My copy…
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Please Help Support My Donors Choose Project – “Give Students High Interest Books and They Will Read!”
Hi Friends, As you may know, I’m a high school English teacher in Bloomington, IL, and I want to make sure my students have the materials they need to succeed. So I’ve created a classroom project request at DonorsChoose.org, an award-winning charity. I’m asking for donations of any size to help my kids. If you…
