Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Language Arts and Leadership Conference
Our Language Arts and Leadership Conference (April 13 - 15), which involved students from elementary through graduate school, concentrated on arts activities, skill-building workshops, and discussions. Among other activities, students participated in a free book fair and a question and answer session with the president of Tuskegee University.
Smarter Than You Think -- Reflections
[Smarter Than You Think]
Well, we've completed Smarter Than You Think. What's one idea that you find most challenging or surprising concerning Clive Thompson's book? Why or how so?
Well, we've completed Smarter Than You Think. What's one idea that you find most challenging or surprising concerning Clive Thompson's book? Why or how so?
Chapter 13: Transformation
[Being Wrong]
"Much of error's emotional force comes from its capacity to unsettle our idea of who we are (280). -- Kathryn Schulz
In Chapter 13 of Being Wrong, Kathryn Schulz explains, among other things, how wrongness can be viewed as "a natural and ongoing process, and we are not deformed but transformed by it" (289). She makes a strong case, really a variety of cases for the links between error and transformation.
Of the topics Schulz addressed, in the chapter what did you find especially notable? Why? Please identify the page number for the concept or idea that you cite.
"Much of error's emotional force comes from its capacity to unsettle our idea of who we are (280). -- Kathryn Schulz
In Chapter 13 of Being Wrong, Kathryn Schulz explains, among other things, how wrongness can be viewed as "a natural and ongoing process, and we are not deformed but transformed by it" (289). She makes a strong case, really a variety of cases for the links between error and transformation.
Of the topics Schulz addressed, in the chapter what did you find especially notable? Why? Please identify the page number for the concept or idea that you cite.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Thinking about Collegiate Black Men Writing about Poetry
"As I read and responded to the poetry, I realized that I never gave poetry enough of a chance." -John H.This semester, among other things, I coordinated a reading group focusing on poetry. I had volumes of poems distributed to several young men on campus, and then emailed them discussion prompts. The guys were assisting me in producing a body of writings that we'll eventually pass along to high school students to help them as they read poetry.
"Something interesting and unusual that I’ve learned about myself is that not only do I enjoy reading poems, but I also enjoy writing and talking about them." --Trion T.
The process of coordinating this project gave me a chance to look over a range of write-ups by collegiate black men, who were not my students. Some guys were busy with part-time jobs and real school work, so their answers to the prompts were halfhearted or hastily written. Then, there were some other guys who really dove in on the assignments and had me looking forward to reading and thinking about their takes on the poems.
Who were these guys? What led them to have such lively and fascinating ideas? Where and under what circumstances had they learned to communicate these thoughtful insights in just a few succinct sentences? What could I learn from them, and how might I pass along their best practices to other students? Those were some of the questions I found myself asking as I read and thought about their responses.
Moving forward, it might be worth taking more time to think and write about how and why various people, in this case young black men, respond, in writing, to poetry.
Related:
• Poetry and service-learning
• Volumes of poetry, cell phone images, and textbooks
• Reflections for Poetry Project
• Reading T. Jess, J. McCall, T. Medina, F. X. Walker & K. Young in 2015
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Notebook on the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House
We're currently working on a preservation project focusing on the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House, a comprehensive social services organization based in East St. Louis. We've began producing entries and public exhibits concentrating on the organization and our related activities.
Entries:
2015
• April 26: Caption This Activity: Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House (April 7)
• March 31: Visualizing histories -- Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House
• March 25: Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House photo exhibit (March 24)
• March 25: The Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House and the IRIS Center
2014
• December 2: The Lessie Bates Neighborhood House Preservation Project
Entries:
2015
• April 26: Caption This Activity: Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House (April 7)
• March 31: Visualizing histories -- Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House
• March 25: Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House photo exhibit (March 24)
• March 25: The Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House and the IRIS Center
2014
• December 2: The Lessie Bates Neighborhood House Preservation Project
Caption This Activity: Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House
On April 7, we hosted a "caption this" exhibit featuring images from the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House, a social services organization in East St. Louis. The organization has been in existence now for over 100 years. We have been scanning and labeling the photographs as part of a preservation project we are completing.
For our "caption this" activity, students took a look at some of the images and provided short write-ups. The activity gave us a chance to further highlight the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House and consider ways to involve groups of people in engaging the photographs.
Related:
• Spring 2015 Programming
• Notebook on the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House
Exhibit on Comic Strips and Illustrations
On April 23, we coordinated an exhibit featuring works by Aaron McGruder, Keith Knight, and Kyle Baker. We looked a few comic strips by McGruder, editorial cartoons by Knight, and excerpts from Baker's graphic novel Nat Turner.
Tuskegee President Brian Johnson and the post-presentation photos
When President Brian Johnson of Tuskegee University finished his question and answer session with our guys to conclude our Language Arts and Leadership Conference, I suggested that he take a group photo with our young men. He agreed, and we made it happen. And as soon as that was over, guys were in line taking selfies and small group shots with President Johnson.
It was a lively and notable moment. The guys appreciated the Q & A session, but they also clearly liked the idea of interacting with the Tuskegee president in the informal post-presentation moment of taking photographs with cell phones.
But then, I think the cell phone photograph requests often served as a way for guys to approach the president, shake his hand, and introduce themselves directly to him.
A few photographs:
Poetry and service-learning
For the past few months, I've worked on a poetry project with a group of collegiate black men. They were tasked with responding to questions about Richard Wright's haiku as well as poems by Adrian Matejka, Tyehimba Jess, Tony Medina, and others. We were preparing short commentary on the poems that we then sent to high school black men who were going to read the poems that we covered and also provide commentary.
The project is part of an arts and humanities project on poetry for black men, which was funded by the Illinois Humanities Council. In some respects, the project has become a really important service-learning activity. The college students have gotten the opportunity to read and write about a range of poems, thus deepening their involvement with artistic literacy. At the same time, they participated in a series of activities where they write about poetry for high school students.
Rarely do people think of writing about poetry as a form of volunteer work. But in the case of our project this semester, sharing commentary on poetry did serve that end. The poetry reading and then writing that the young men produced constituted helpful service to our groups of recipients.
Related:
• Volumes of poetry, cell phone images, and textbooks
• Reflections for Poetry Project
• Reading T. Jess, J. McCall, T. Medina, F. X. Walker & K. Young in 2015
• The Illinois Poetry Correspondence Program
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Choices, Black Boys, and Print Culture
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| High school students at the book fair |
The book fair at our Language Arts and Leadership Conference was a reminder about the enjoyment black boys might experience when given the opportunity to select among large numbers of books. Our book fair made it possible for the guys to peruse and select at least three free books. The 35 high school guys buzzed with excitement as they looked over the books and made their selections.
These days, digital devices and the web pervade the lives of black boys, like almost everyone else. In school, black boys have relatively little control over the books they are assigned, notwithstanding books they might check out at the library. Maybe that explains the excitement concerning our book fair. They had the opportunity to choose.
We had a wide range of selections too. Poetry. Fiction. Non-fiction. Comic books. Weight training books. Literature anthologies. History.
In recent years, I've spent some time thinking about areas of inquiry known as "print culture studies" as well as book history where scholars investigate and explicate the ways that a range of people (writers, reviewers, editors, publishers, book sellers, readers, etc.) contributed to the production, transmission, and consumption of printed materials. Scholars in the fields have offered many useful ideas.
What I realized during the book fair last week, though, was that not enough has been said about black boys and print culture or black boys and book history. I was witnessing something special as I watched those young guys express so much excitement about making selections from tables filled with books. And I suppose it's worth noting that my own fond memories of wondering around used bookstores was what led me to organize this event in the first place.
Related:
Language Arts and Leadership Conference
Chapter 12: Heartbreak
[Being Wrong]
"It's as if we regard other people as psychological crystals, with everything important refracted to the visible surface, while regarding ourselves as psychological icebergs, with the majority of what matters submerged and invisible" (258). -- Kathryn Schulz
Chapter 12, "Heartbreak" in Kathryn Schulz's book Being Wrong focuses on "why people are so wrong, so often, about love" (249). At the same time though, the chapter is about the deep craving among humans to keep "the terror of isolation in check" (259).
Of the topics that Schulz covered in the chapter, what did you find most useful? Why? Please identify the page number for the concept or idea that you cite.
"It's as if we regard other people as psychological crystals, with everything important refracted to the visible surface, while regarding ourselves as psychological icebergs, with the majority of what matters submerged and invisible" (258). -- Kathryn Schulz
Chapter 12, "Heartbreak" in Kathryn Schulz's book Being Wrong focuses on "why people are so wrong, so often, about love" (249). At the same time though, the chapter is about the deep craving among humans to keep "the terror of isolation in check" (259).
Of the topics that Schulz covered in the chapter, what did you find most useful? Why? Please identify the page number for the concept or idea that you cite.
Smarter Than You Think -- Epilogue
[Smarter Than You Think]
"How should you respond when you get powerful new tools for finding answers? Think of harder questions." -- Clive Thompson
In the epilogue of Smarter Than You Think, Clive Thompson discusses Watson, IBM's high-profile artificially intelligent computer system capable of playing Jeopardy! Thompson mentions frightening doomsday scenarios where super computers take over, and he also discusses the positive potential outcomes where humans working in tandem with smart computers might allow society to achieve new and useful possibilities.
Where did you tend to lean when it came to thinking about a world populated by more Watson-like IBM computers? Why?
"How should you respond when you get powerful new tools for finding answers? Think of harder questions." -- Clive Thompson
In the epilogue of Smarter Than You Think, Clive Thompson discusses Watson, IBM's high-profile artificially intelligent computer system capable of playing Jeopardy! Thompson mentions frightening doomsday scenarios where super computers take over, and he also discusses the positive potential outcomes where humans working in tandem with smart computers might allow society to achieve new and useful possibilities.
Where did you tend to lean when it came to thinking about a world populated by more Watson-like IBM computers? Why?
Saturday, April 18, 2015
A photo-review the Language Arts & Leadership Conference (Day 3)
On April 15, for the third day of our Language Arts and Leadership Conference, we hosted discussions with collegiate black men about academic pursuits, professionalism, and confronting challenges at the university. We concluded the day with a question and answer session featuring Brian Johnson, president of Tuskegee University.
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| Graduate student Jeremiah Carter and President Brian Johnson |
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| President Johnson speaks with students |
A photo-review the Language Arts & Leadership Conference (Day 2)
On April 14, for the second day of our Language Arts and Leadership Conference, we hosted high school black men from Construction Careers Center Charter High School, Edwardsville High School, Hazelwood Central High School, Mary Institute & Saint Louis Country Day School (MICDS), SIUE/East St. Louis Charter School, and Trinity Catholic High School.
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| Students participate in "visualizing vocabulary" workshop |
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| Students participate in writing activity |
Friday, April 17, 2015
Presentation to the Board of Trustees
[The following is the text of my presentation during the "public comments" portion of the SIU Board of Trustees meeting, April 17. We were required to keep our comments below 5 minutes.]
I am an associate professor of English here at SIUE.
I am proposing a special academic program entitled "the Leadership Forum" for undergraduates at SIUE. I am appealing to the Board of Trustees for assistance to fund the program. The program seeks to alleviate the systematic exclusion of African American students from “honors” programs and special academic activities and support at SIUE.
As a professor at SIUE for more than a decade now, I have observed the exclusion and absence of African Americans students from academic programming. University officials have acknowledged that African American students have largely been omitted from honors programs and prestigious scholarships here, and some of those officials even admit that it is a problem.
Yet, nothing changes; the exclusion continues to persist. What is worse, the exclusion has persisted even as the numbers and percentage of African American students have now reached the highest number in the university’s history.
I am an associate professor of English here at SIUE.
I am proposing a special academic program entitled "the Leadership Forum" for undergraduates at SIUE. I am appealing to the Board of Trustees for assistance to fund the program. The program seeks to alleviate the systematic exclusion of African American students from “honors” programs and special academic activities and support at SIUE.
As a professor at SIUE for more than a decade now, I have observed the exclusion and absence of African Americans students from academic programming. University officials have acknowledged that African American students have largely been omitted from honors programs and prestigious scholarships here, and some of those officials even admit that it is a problem.
Yet, nothing changes; the exclusion continues to persist. What is worse, the exclusion has persisted even as the numbers and percentage of African American students have now reached the highest number in the university’s history.
A photo-review the Language Arts & Leadership Conference (Day 1)
On April 13, for the first day of our Language Arts and Leadership Conference, we hosted students from Venice Elementary School (K - 8). My colleagues Tisha Brooks and Elizabeth Cali, and my graduate assistant Jeremiah Carter coordinated arts activities for the 35 students who attended.
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| Professor Tisha Brooks assists student with arts activity |
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| Students share artwork with Professor Cali |
Mike Jones extends a larger vision
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| Mike Jones facilitates question and answer session |
During our Language Arts and Leadership Conference, I repeatedly noted that my colleague Mike Jones "got us here" and that "he made this happen." Of course, we in fact had many contributors and vital assistance, but I do remember that several months ago, Jones was the one that came in with the crucial vision.
"Rambsy, let's do a conference for young black men," he said at the "meeting" before there was even an official meeting or planning committee for this conference. In his work as an advisor, Jones has been on the ground level working with a range of guys here SIUE, and he realized that we needed to do something extra that would assist young brothers navigating the university.
So Jones got us started. Since I've been working with a couple of secondary schools in the area, I suggested that we also create some workshops for high school students as well. We talked and began sketching out plans.
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| Mike Jones & President Brian Johnson of Tuskegee University at the close of the conference |
I received a reminder that our guy Jones has been integral to this kind of organizing prior to his arrival at SIUE. A week before our event, I attended a symposium devoted to black men at St. Louis University. At one point in the program, one of the speakers acknowledged that none other than Mike Jones had been one of the initial organizers who prompted the formation of a support network and then conference for collegiate black men at SLU.
Our recent conference for young black men at SIUE was in part a continuation of Mike Jones's long-running efforts and a larger vision.
Related:
Language Arts and Leadership Conference
A gathering of young scholars
Related:
Language Arts and Leadership Conference
A Free Book Fair
No doubt about it: one of the stand-out sessions for the high school students at our "Language Arts and Leadership" Conference was the free book fair. The guys enjoyed looking through the materials and then selecting books to take with them.
I devised the plan for a book fair over a year ago, long before I knew we would have this language arts conference. During my latter years of high school and especially during my college days, I began establishing a strong connection to used bookstores. The first, major growth phase of my personal library took place during the spring of 1998 when I spent a semester living in New York City.
I won't bore you with the details of how I developed my collection over the last 15 or so years, but I will say that I have sought out ways to creatively share books and even aspects of my own collection with students and friends. Our conference presented me with a good opportunity to pass books along to others.
In addition to gathering more than 100 books from my collection to give away, I also received donations from my colleagues in the department of English. As a result, we had a really wide and diverse selection of books for the students to choose from during the session.
Related:
Language Arts and Leadership Conference
A wonderful book moment image that got away
I've been taking photographs for years now, and I'm inevitably thinking about notable moments that I somehow did not manage to capture with my camera. One of those moments came during our Language Arts and Leadership Conference.
At noon, I arrived at the room where we would have lunch and also where our book festival would take place. A long line had formed outside the room. People were waiting, I assumed, to pick up sandwiches and something to drink.
However, when I moved forward to get inside, I realized that the young men had barely noticed the table of food. They were instead fully focused on the tables of books. We had not yet informed the guys that the books were free. They were excitedly perusing and discussing the materials.
As much as I enjoyed witnessing their enthusiasm concerning the books, I had to instruct them to grab something to eat, so that more people could enter the room.
If I had my camera on me at the time, I would now have the chance to present you with a photograph of this long line of young black men waiting to look at books. You'll have to take my word that it was a wonderful scene.
Related:
Language Arts and Leadership Conference
At noon, I arrived at the room where we would have lunch and also where our book festival would take place. A long line had formed outside the room. People were waiting, I assumed, to pick up sandwiches and something to drink.
However, when I moved forward to get inside, I realized that the young men had barely noticed the table of food. They were instead fully focused on the tables of books. We had not yet informed the guys that the books were free. They were excitedly perusing and discussing the materials.
As much as I enjoyed witnessing their enthusiasm concerning the books, I had to instruct them to grab something to eat, so that more people could enter the room.
If I had my camera on me at the time, I would now have the chance to present you with a photograph of this long line of young black men waiting to look at books. You'll have to take my word that it was a wonderful scene.
Related:
Language Arts and Leadership Conference
Thursday, April 16, 2015
A free book dilemma for high school students
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| Adam Cleary's generous donations to the book fair |
One of my English department colleagues, Adam Cleary, donated several weight training and fitness books for the book fair that took place during at our Language Arts and Leadership Conference. By doing so, Cleary unknowingly created an interesting dilemma for the high school students.
Prior to the fair, I predicted that Cleary's donated books would draw considerable attention from the young men attendees. Over the years, my first-year college guys repeatedly pointed out that they viewed access to the university's fitness center as a major benefit of attending college. Relatively few students had access to such a facility in their immediate home neighborhoods. Given their interest in athletics and working out, I assumed that Cleary's weight training and fitness books would be particularly interesting for younger guys as well.
Attendees Visit the Underground Reading Room
During our Language Arts and Leadership Conference, students and other conference attendees visited the Underground Reading Room in Lovejoy Library, where they had a chance to view images from the Eugene B. Redmond Collection as well as various other posters that we have designed as part of our public programming over the years.
Related:
Language Arts and Leadership Conference
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| Student from Venice Elementary visits Underground Reading Room on April 13 |
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| High School students visit the Underground on April 14 |
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| President Brian Johnson of Tuskegee University visits Underground on April 15 |
Language Arts and Leadership Conference
The Language Arts and Leadership Conference
April 13 - 15, we hosted several activities and more than 100 students, from second grade through graduate school, as part of our "Language arts and Leadership" conference.
On Monday, we hosted arts activities for students from Venice Elementary School. On Tuesday, we hosted workshops for approximately 40 high school black men from Edwardsville, East St. Louis, and St. Louis. On Wednesday, we hosted workshops for about 50 collegiate black men from SIUE. We concluded those activities with a conversation between 30 or so of our guys and Brian Johnson, the president of Tuskegee University.
The conference was a great success. Students enjoyed themselves and told us how much they were learning each day of the conference.
The idea for this kind of conference emerged several months ago when Mike Jones, my colleague from SIUE's Student Opportunities for Academic Results (SOAR) advising program, made the case that we should organize a conference for young black men. We then gained support from SOAR director Earleen Patterson, and from there, the three of us began reaching out to multiple people for additional assistance across the university.
What follows are entries concerning aspects of the conference.
Entries:
• A photo-review the Language Arts & Leadership Conference (Day 1)
• A photo-review the Language Arts & Leadership Conference (Day 2)
• A photo-review the Language Arts & Leadership Conference (Day 3)
• Attendees Visit the Underground Reading Room
• Choices, Black Boys, and Print Culture
• A free book fair
• A free book dilemma for high school students
• A wonderful book moment image that got away
• A gathering of young scholars
• Tuskegee President Brian Johnson and the post-presentation photos
• Mike Jones extends a larger vision
On Monday, we hosted arts activities for students from Venice Elementary School. On Tuesday, we hosted workshops for approximately 40 high school black men from Edwardsville, East St. Louis, and St. Louis. On Wednesday, we hosted workshops for about 50 collegiate black men from SIUE. We concluded those activities with a conversation between 30 or so of our guys and Brian Johnson, the president of Tuskegee University.
The conference was a great success. Students enjoyed themselves and told us how much they were learning each day of the conference.
The idea for this kind of conference emerged several months ago when Mike Jones, my colleague from SIUE's Student Opportunities for Academic Results (SOAR) advising program, made the case that we should organize a conference for young black men. We then gained support from SOAR director Earleen Patterson, and from there, the three of us began reaching out to multiple people for additional assistance across the university.
What follows are entries concerning aspects of the conference.
Entries:
• A photo-review the Language Arts & Leadership Conference (Day 1)
• A photo-review the Language Arts & Leadership Conference (Day 2)
• A photo-review the Language Arts & Leadership Conference (Day 3)
• Attendees Visit the Underground Reading Room
• Choices, Black Boys, and Print Culture
• A free book fair
• A free book dilemma for high school students
• A wonderful book moment image that got away
• A gathering of young scholars
• Tuskegee President Brian Johnson and the post-presentation photos
• Mike Jones extends a larger vision
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Smarter Than You Think -- Chapter 9
[Smarter Than You Think]
In Chapter 9, “The Connected Society” of Smarter Than You Think, Clive Thompson describes how the use of the Internet has created a global connection that would not otherwise be possible. The distinct forms of communication provided by the internet (i.e. tweets, email, instant message, skype) have been used both socially and politically.
Thompson notes:
In Chapter 9, “The Connected Society” of Smarter Than You Think, Clive Thompson describes how the use of the Internet has created a global connection that would not otherwise be possible. The distinct forms of communication provided by the internet (i.e. tweets, email, instant message, skype) have been used both socially and politically.
Thompson notes:
But the Internet and modern digital tools have been particularly romanticized. Our ability to communicate instantly across vast distances, to speak to the world and to each other, seems uniquely freedomish. In the West, in particular, we tend to regard speech as both a proxy for emancipation and its inevitable catalyst; and if the Internet has done anything, it’s produced a global flood of speech (249).What’s one scene or topic from the chapter that drew your interest? Why or how so? Please provide page citation.
Chapter 11: Denial and Acceptance
[Being Wrong]
Chapter 11 on denial and acceptance in Kathryn Schulz's book Being Wrong is one of the most gripping that we've read so far. She shares a story about a woman who falsely identified her attacker only to learn many years later that she was responsible for sending the wrong man to jail.
What aspects of the story, and more specifically, what aspect concerning the processes of denial or acceptance of error was most compelling or notable to you? Why or how so?
Chapter 11 on denial and acceptance in Kathryn Schulz's book Being Wrong is one of the most gripping that we've read so far. She shares a story about a woman who falsely identified her attacker only to learn many years later that she was responsible for sending the wrong man to jail.
What aspects of the story, and more specifically, what aspect concerning the processes of denial or acceptance of error was most compelling or notable to you? Why or how so?
Monday, April 13, 2015
Bradley at SLU
Those old-school jazz cats talk about the significance of seeing Coltrane or Miles or Monk playing live. For instance, you hear them speaking of Monk's "legendary" run in 1957 at the Five Spot Café, a notable jazz club, as one of the great moments in the history of the music. The dedicated witnesses reflect on Monk and speak of the artistry and skill, the playfulness and serious work.
Years from now, I'm channeling those witnesses when I reference our guy Stefan Bradley at St. Louis University (SLU). I'll say something like, "Listen. I saw Bradley at SLU." And then, like those jazz witnesses, I'll pause, expecting some affirmation for having been present for something special.
The other night, I caught Bradley at SLU. This time, like the last time, and like the time before that, he was playing his many leading and supporting roles in their annual symposium related to empowering black men. Bradley was sharing the stage with Shaun Harper, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education at the University of Pennsylvania; Walter Kimbrough, Ph.D., noted author and president of Dillard University; and Dwaun Warmack, Ed.D., president of Harris Stowe University.
There was a large crowd for the event. It was new and important, informative, lively, communal, and filled with surprising moments for an academic gathering at a university, all of which is to say, it was now a typical gathering involving Bradley at SLU. As always, I was glad to be a witness.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
A Du Bois scholar as President of Tuskegee University
People speak of Brian Johnson as the 7th president of Tuskegee University. They refer to him as a notably "young" president. They speak of his commitment to "student customer service." And of course, those of us paying close attention to the historical, intellectual record are inclined to note that President Johnson is a W. E. B. Du Bois scholar leading Booker T. Washington's university.
The histories of African American thought rarely overlook the apparent intellectual differences between Washington and Du Bois. Countless books, articles, conference presentations, and informal conversations highlight the divergent interests of those two prominent men. At the same time, some keen observers point out Washington's and Du Bois's common interests.
Nonetheless, the notion that a scholar who had based his research and writing on Du Bois has now become the president of Tuskegee University is an intriguing storyline. Especially if you roll in circles where people are drawn to historical figures as compelling as Du Bois and Washington.
In a recent interview with Diverse Issues in Higher Education, President Johnson stated that "Both Du Bois and Washington were working in concert, no matter what the perceived differences were...[they were] grinding it out and addressing the needs of the people.”
Next Wednesday, we'll host President Johnson on our campus. He'll participate in a conversation with a group of our young men about the challenges and opportunities associated with leadership. At some point during his visit, I'll likely bring up this subject that Johnson has likely heard many times already: What's it like for a Du Bois Scholar to be President of Tuskegee?
Related:
• Brian Johnson, Tuskegee University, and the Arts & Humanities
On Being Wrong, Chapter 10: How Wrong?
[Being Wrong]
"Figuring out where we went wrong can be genuinely puzzling--the conceptual equivalent of trying to retrace your steps in a dark woods" (207). -- Kathryn Schulz
“Our beliefs come in bundles.” (209 )-- Kathryn Schulz
Kathryn Schulz's book Being Wrong is about wrongess and error, but it's also about, we've come to understand, the nature of our beliefs. In multiple chapters, she discusses how our belief systems affect our thinking and actions and contributing to our mistakes. Beliefs are important, as Schulz shows, when we people are trying to discover "how wrong" they were. Their belief can determine how they pursue the answer to that query.
What idea did you come across that you found most fascinating or notable in this chapter? How so? Please note a page number.
"Figuring out where we went wrong can be genuinely puzzling--the conceptual equivalent of trying to retrace your steps in a dark woods" (207). -- Kathryn Schulz
“Our beliefs come in bundles.” (209 )-- Kathryn Schulz
Kathryn Schulz's book Being Wrong is about wrongess and error, but it's also about, we've come to understand, the nature of our beliefs. In multiple chapters, she discusses how our belief systems affect our thinking and actions and contributing to our mistakes. Beliefs are important, as Schulz shows, when we people are trying to discover "how wrong" they were. Their belief can determine how they pursue the answer to that query.
What idea did you come across that you found most fascinating or notable in this chapter? How so? Please note a page number.
Smarter Than You Think -- Chapter 8
[Smarter Than You Think]
In Chapter 8, “Ambient Awareness” of Smarter Than You Think, Clive Thompson writes about some of the rewards of being deeply immersed in or active on social media. At one point, he notes that "reaping cognitive benefits of the Internet often requires social work. This distresses anyone for whom social work is a chore or seems beneath them."
How did Thompson's observations strengthen or shift your perspectives about the benefits of social media?
In Chapter 8, “Ambient Awareness” of Smarter Than You Think, Clive Thompson writes about some of the rewards of being deeply immersed in or active on social media. At one point, he notes that "reaping cognitive benefits of the Internet often requires social work. This distresses anyone for whom social work is a chore or seems beneath them."
How did Thompson's observations strengthen or shift your perspectives about the benefits of social media?
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Preface for Jerry W. Ward, Jr.’s The China Lectures
[The following preface appears in The China Lectures: African American Literary and Critical Issues (2014) by Jerry W. Ward, Jr.]
Preface for Jerry W. Ward, Jr.’s The China Lectures
By Howard Rambsy II
When I arrived at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, as an undergraduate in the mid-1990s, Professor Ward was more than two decades into his career, already a local legend. At the time, like most of my classmates, I had less specific knowledge of who he was as a prominent scholar of black literature. More immediately, he was known to us as a devoted and challenging teacher-thinker. In one of many memorable instances, he provided feedback on an essay by one of my peers by informing her that “your thesis dances like light on water. In other words, nothing is focused.” Thanks to phrasings like that, we were far more aware of the poetic lines that Professor Ward was writing in the margins of our papers for class assignments than we were with his published poems and scholarly articles.
A Notebook on Jerry W. Ward, Jr.
2025
• February 24: Jerry W. Ward. Jr.'s services in New Orleans
• February 22: 5 photos of Jerry W. Ward., Jr. over the years
• February 15: Jerry W. Ward, Amiri Baraka, Black poetry studies
2020
• February 15: Jerry W. Ward, Jr.'s numerous, essential Introductions
• July 31: 77 poems about vulnerable black boys & black men (for Jerry W. Ward, Jr.'s birthday)
2015
• April 7: Preface for Jerry W. Ward, Jr.’s The China Lectures
• March 30: A senior African American poetry scholar as blogger: The Case of Jerry W. Ward, Jr.
• March 30: A Notebook on the Blog Entries of Jerry W. Ward, Jr.
2014
• July 8: From Richard Wright to African American literary studies
• April 9: Trouble the Water, the Norton, and my views of African American literary studies in the late 1990s
2013
• August 8: Lively conversations about poetry with multigenerations of black men
• August 8: Notes on extended conversations with black men about poetry
• July 10: Early Readings: Richard Wright and the Humanities
• March 28: The Ward, Wright & Whiteside Connections
2012
• July 12: Toward a Sociology of African American Readers
• April 14: Houston Baker, Jerry W. Ward, and the title of my Black Arts book
2011
• August 6: Jerry W. Ward as My Gateway Guide to Poetry during the 1990s
Related:
• An Extended Notebook on the works of writers & artists
• A Notebook on Black South Literary Scholars
• February 15: Jerry W. Ward, Jr.'s numerous, essential Introductions
• July 31: 77 poems about vulnerable black boys & black men (for Jerry W. Ward, Jr.'s birthday)
2015
• April 7: Preface for Jerry W. Ward, Jr.’s The China Lectures
• March 30: A senior African American poetry scholar as blogger: The Case of Jerry W. Ward, Jr.
• March 30: A Notebook on the Blog Entries of Jerry W. Ward, Jr.
2014
• July 8: From Richard Wright to African American literary studies
• April 9: Trouble the Water, the Norton, and my views of African American literary studies in the late 1990s
2013
• August 8: Lively conversations about poetry with multigenerations of black men
• August 8: Notes on extended conversations with black men about poetry
• July 10: Early Readings: Richard Wright and the Humanities
• March 28: The Ward, Wright & Whiteside Connections
2012
• July 12: Toward a Sociology of African American Readers
• April 14: Houston Baker, Jerry W. Ward, and the title of my Black Arts book
2011
• August 6: Jerry W. Ward as My Gateway Guide to Poetry during the 1990s
Related:
• An Extended Notebook on the works of writers & artists
• A Notebook on Black South Literary Scholars
Monday, April 6, 2015
The value of lists about African American poetry
Before becoming a blogger, I created lists, but almost never shared them publicly. Why would I? Aside from bibliographies, much of the publishing we do comes in the form of narrative prose (i.e. paragraphs), not lists.
Yet, something about the genre or format of blogging inclined me to create all these various lists. I created timelines, lists of poetry volumes; a list of anthologies, the coverage of Amiri Baraka's passing, Kevin Young's many books, a roundup of #BlackPoetsSpeakOut selections, you name it. The lists helped me organize large chunks of data on poetry out there, and in the process it helped me create resources for readers.
The information and data on African American poetry seem overwhelming and unwieldy to me at times, and I study the material. How difficult is it for novices? Blogging and then creating these lists gave me opportunities to assist folks trying to navigate the field.
The lists have also become really helpful for me as well. The links and lists allow me to work my way backward on topics that I've covered over the years in a time efficient manner. For instance, when I prepare to write a conventional articles on "bad men" in poetry, I'll consult my list of previous writings on the topic. I'll take a similar approach when producing writing on poems about slavery and struggles for liberation.
Related:
• A Notebook on the value of blogging about African American poetry
Saturday, April 4, 2015
An audio exhibit concerning the EBR Collection
On Tuesday, March 31, we hosted an audio activity concentrating on the formation and contents of the Eugene B. Redmond (EBR) Collection. The audio devices included a recording of Redmond reading a poem about Miles Davis and providing commentary about Maya Angelou. SIUE metadata librarian Mary Z. Rose provided commentary concerning how she developed digital collections related to Redmond's work, and I offered comments about the collection in general.
Unlike many of our mixed media exhibits in the past, this project transmitted almost all the ideas through audio, with no accompanying images and minimum texts. I have been experimenting with the possibility of presenting some materials to students in the form of audio only. I've wondered how presenting more audio and less texts might give folks different orientations to African American subject matter.
 |
| Audio device displaying Mary Z. Rose's file on Drumvoices Revue |
Our audio exhibit on the EBR Collection this week gave me opportunities to think about the construction and transmission of a project in these alternative directions.
Related:
• Spring 2015 Programming
Thursday, April 2, 2015
The value of blogging African American poetry news
Extending the conversation concerning the value of blogging about African American poetry, I'm inclined to mention my increased attention to documenting poetry news taking place across the course of a year. Like many people, I've often taken note of notable occurrences such as these folks winning awards or these folks publishing books. However, only after some time blogging did I take such documentation a little more seriously.
These days, I always keep in mind that December is coming.
That is to say, I am often aware that like most folks covering news, I'll get involved in those year-in reviews or wrap-ups in December as the year closes. I've produced "the year in African American poetry" in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Prior to blogging, there was no impulse to document and then share news and events concerning black poetry in such systematic ways.
A Notebook on the value of blogging about African American poetry
2015
• The value of lists about African American poetry
• The value of blogging African American poetry news
• A senior African American poetry scholar as blogger: The Case of Jerry W. Ward, Jr.
• The value of blogging about African American Poetry
• Poetry blogging is more productive and smarter than you think
2013
• One way blogging has shifted my engagements with poetry
2012
• Blogging about African American Poetry & The Habit Loop
• The value of lists about African American poetry
• The value of blogging African American poetry news
• A senior African American poetry scholar as blogger: The Case of Jerry W. Ward, Jr.
• The value of blogging about African American Poetry
• Poetry blogging is more productive and smarter than you think
2013
• One way blogging has shifted my engagements with poetry
2012
• Blogging about African American Poetry & The Habit Loop
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Blogging about Poetry in March 2015
[Related content: Blogging about Poetry]
• March 30: A senior African American poetry scholar as blogger: The Case of Jerry W. Ward, Jr.
• March 29: Black poetry and socioeconomic divides
• March 28: The value of blogging about African American Poetry
• March 26: Remixing Poetry, Pt. 2 at the SIUE/East St. Louis Charter High School
• March 21: Young Scientist Program visits SIUE/East St. Louis Charter School
• March 21: Remixing Poetry at the SIUE/East St. Louis Charter High School
• March 21: Poetry magazine and outreach on social media; or the Don Share model
• March 20: Volumes of poetry, cell phone images, and textbooks
• March 16: The Novelization of Contemporary African American Poetry
• March 15: Drawing Connections, Reading Reginald Harris's "The Lost Boys"
• March 15: A Notebook on Reginald Harris
• March 13: Claudia Rankine's Citizen becomes a "first"
• March 10: Why it matters that the University of Oklahoma fraternity chant was also a poem
• March 10: Showcasing a personal collection of African American Poetry
• March 9: Poetry, humor, and creativity
• March 8: Black Poets, Bad Men, and Creativity
• March 7: Jay Z & Jean-Michel Basquiat as poets
• March 4: Poetry blogging is more productive and smarter than you think
• March 1: Blogging about Poetry in February 2015
• March 30: A senior African American poetry scholar as blogger: The Case of Jerry W. Ward, Jr.
• March 29: Black poetry and socioeconomic divides
• March 28: The value of blogging about African American Poetry
• March 26: Remixing Poetry, Pt. 2 at the SIUE/East St. Louis Charter High School
• March 21: Young Scientist Program visits SIUE/East St. Louis Charter School
• March 21: Remixing Poetry at the SIUE/East St. Louis Charter High School
• March 21: Poetry magazine and outreach on social media; or the Don Share model
• March 20: Volumes of poetry, cell phone images, and textbooks
• March 16: The Novelization of Contemporary African American Poetry
• March 15: Drawing Connections, Reading Reginald Harris's "The Lost Boys"
• March 15: A Notebook on Reginald Harris
• March 13: Claudia Rankine's Citizen becomes a "first"
• March 10: Why it matters that the University of Oklahoma fraternity chant was also a poem
• March 10: Showcasing a personal collection of African American Poetry
• March 9: Poetry, humor, and creativity
• March 8: Black Poets, Bad Men, and Creativity
• March 7: Jay Z & Jean-Michel Basquiat as poets
• March 4: Poetry blogging is more productive and smarter than you think
• March 1: Blogging about Poetry in February 2015
On Being Wrong, Chapter 9: Being Wrong
[Being Wrong]
Chapter 9 of Kathryn Schulz's book Being Wrong "is about what happens during wrongness--about the moment when the feeling of being right seroconverts to the feeling of being wrong. Psycholoically as well as structurally, this moment forms the central experience of error" (183-184).
Schulz covers several aspects of that "during" phase. For you though, what's one idea or observation that she made in the chapter that caught your attention? For a couple of us who were talking, the following line from Schulz was striking: "We are quasi-rational actors, in whom reason is forever sharing the stage with ego and hope and stubbornness and loathing and loyalty” (195). Her eloquent assessment of why human s have a hard time making rational decisions was usefully explanatory.
What's one line, phrase, or idea that captured your interest? Provide the page number as well. Then, explain your reasoning.
Chapter 9 of Kathryn Schulz's book Being Wrong "is about what happens during wrongness--about the moment when the feeling of being right seroconverts to the feeling of being wrong. Psycholoically as well as structurally, this moment forms the central experience of error" (183-184).
Schulz covers several aspects of that "during" phase. For you though, what's one idea or observation that she made in the chapter that caught your attention? For a couple of us who were talking, the following line from Schulz was striking: "We are quasi-rational actors, in whom reason is forever sharing the stage with ego and hope and stubbornness and loathing and loyalty” (195). Her eloquent assessment of why human s have a hard time making rational decisions was usefully explanatory.
What's one line, phrase, or idea that captured your interest? Provide the page number as well. Then, explain your reasoning.
Smarter Than You Think -- Chapter 7
[Smarter Than You Think]
In Chapter 7, “Digital School,” of Smarter Than You Think, Clive Thompson discusses the use of technology in the classroom and its impacts on the culture of learning. In particular, he notes that academic demands beyond high school level can be met by elementary school students through online learning and instruction.
Thompson writes,
In Chapter 7, “Digital School,” of Smarter Than You Think, Clive Thompson discusses the use of technology in the classroom and its impacts on the culture of learning. In particular, he notes that academic demands beyond high school level can be met by elementary school students through online learning and instruction.
Thompson writes,
“Most attempts to use digital technology in education focus on having students learn programs: word processing programs, presentation programs, microblogging tools, search engines. But truly clever teachers go one step further: They teach their students programing itself – how to write code. This isn’t just about imparting geeky skills that will be useful on the job market. The teachers know that programming has deeper effects: For children, it becomes a philosophic act, a way of learning about learning” (188).What did you find most helpful concerning Thompson’s discussion of the advancement of technology in the classroom? Why? Please provide a page number when appropriate.
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