Author Archives: Thomas_Easterling

ICE Raids in Mississippi

Posted on August 9, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

“Give me your hungry, your tired your poor I’ll piss on ’emthat’s what the Statue of Bigotry says” Lou Reed, Dirty Boulevard Earlier this week, as most Mississippi families found themselves consumed by the excitement and anxiety of going back … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National Politics, Race in Mississippi | 9 Comments

Welcome Back

Posted on August 9, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

Good morning, Blue Waves! I hope you’ve had a wonderful summer. If you’re new to the blog, allow me to introduce a few ground rules. First, to post, you must have a valid MSMS email address. I’ll approve your first … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Leave a comment

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 | Leave a comment

Fighting for Himself

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

In Larry Brown’s brilliant novel Dirty Work, the protagonist, Walter James, shares a dozen anecdotes that reveal the violence from his past. The bloodshed starts early. As a first grader, he gets his nose smacked and his grape Nehi stolen … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Politics | 9 Comments

What’s Fair is Fair?

Posted on April 30, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

I’ve been interested in and amused by plans that Democratic presidential candidates have been floating for making a college education more affordable. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s plan involves offering all those who currently hold student loans $50,000 of amnesty. It would … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Politics | Tagged | 16 Comments

It’s That Time of Year Again

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

Graduation lurks one calendar month away. There’s so much I’d like to discuss–the Mueller Report, the Mississippi State Auditor’s assessment of how we spend too much money on administrative expenses, the brain drain and Mississippi–but I’m going for the low-hanging … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 22 Comments

Sanity and Cs

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

I have a confession: I was a good test taker and a terrible student. As late as my second year of college, if the weather pleased me, or if some event drew my attention, I would cut class and do … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 30 Comments

Pennywise and Pound Foolish

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos recently presented a budget to Congress that would eliminate funding for Special Olympics. “We had to make some difficult decisions with this budget,” she told legislators recently. She added that the success of the Special … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Education, National Politics | 20 Comments

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 Ethics, National Politics, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Welcome Back. Finish Strong!

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Thomas_Easterling

Ponder this during the last nine weeks of the semester: some of you will attend colleges that admit students whose admission resulted from their parents’ strenuous–perhaps illegal–efforts to place them there, rather than on the merits of their own labors. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Politics | 28 Comments