Category Archives: Uncategorized

Request for Prognostications

Posted on October 27, 2020 by admin

How close will the presidential election be? Who will win? How long will it take to certify election results? Will either candidate concede without forcing a Supreme Court showdown? How close will the race between Cindy Hyde-Smith and Mike Espy … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Pop Culture, Uncategorized | 13 Comments

The Social Contract

Posted on October 24, 2019 by admin

Pres. Donald Trump has three rhetorical ticks that give me heartburn. He uses the phrases “people tell me all the time” and “they say” when he’s making things up. He accuses the media of disseminating “fake news” whenever reporters disagree … Continue reading →

Posted in National Politics, Politics, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Last Chance

Posted on May 20, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

It’s too late to post anything for credit–that deadline passed Wednesday–but I am in the process of revising next fall’s Contemporary American Literature course. I’m likely to replace Salvage the Bones with Sing, Unburied, Sing, but additional suggestions are welcome! Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Reading Lists | Leave a comment

A Quick Reminder; Callout Culture

Posted on March 21, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

As tempting as it may be to blog during class, I consider it bad form. Also, unless you’re highly proficient at multi-tasking, you’re not really getting the material being covered while you blog. On to another topic: callout culture, which … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

School Violence and Mental Health

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

Recent legislation to improve school safety not only involves active shooter drills and required training sessions for teachers, but also an expansion of the way schools and police scrutinize social media postings. Civil Libertarians fear that the latter provision takes … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 20 Comments

An Information Society

Posted on February 21, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

Imagine a state where medical professionals had immediate access to information that would assist in diagnosing health issues. Imagine a state where science reduced the likelihood of wrongful prosecution and imprisonment. Imagine a state where all citizens could know with … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 25 Comments

Making #metoo Connections

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Thomas_Easterling

It should not have taken me so long to post this. Silence breakers who are part of the #metoo movement won Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” award. I’ll post later on the significance and the complexity of the movement. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 17 Comments

Contemporary Literature Possibilities

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Thomas_Easterling

Greetings all. The list below constitutes possibilities for the contemporary literature course I will teach in the fall semester. I still need to trim about four titles; it’s possible, even now, to consider a replacement text. I want your input. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Uncategorized | 30 Comments

In Case You’re Interested

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Thomas_Easterling

Dr. Jeffrey Courtright, MUW’s Humanities Teacher Award (2016-17) winner, will give an address titled “Why Philosophy” tomorrow at 6:00 in Painter 113. You’ll need to sign out to attend; if you’re interested in attending, email me. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments