Monday, June 24, 2019

Review of "Accents" by Poet Jenna Le in Stirring Lit

https://www.stirringlit.com/summer-2018-vol-20-ed-3

Scroll down to the cover of Accents by fellow poet Jenna Le. She offers some perceptive insights. Thanks to her and to Stirring Lit!

Friday, June 21, 2019

Coding instead of Foreign Language Classes in South Carolina?

https://www.thestate.com/news/state/south-carolina/article231694218.html

This is idiotic. South Carolina's largest international trading partner is Germany. Many Hispanics live here, and we do a lot of trade with Canada and other na.

I am a retired German teacher (also English and Social Studies). We teach the culture as well as the grammar. There will be more on this!

Thursday, June 20, 2019

First Native American Poet Laureate

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/native-american-writer-joy-harjo-is-named-us-poet-laureate/2019/06/17/a59ae340-8ed6-11e9-adf3-f70f78c156e8_story.html?


   What a wonderful thing this is on many levels! Her memoir is awesome. I enjoyed reading about her time in New Mexico, where I luved for five far too short years,.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/p
roduct/0393345432/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Mad Men again

  Don Draper forbids a subordinate to write short stories under a nom de plume because he is supposed to be ready 24/7=to service clients. Yeesh!

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Mad Men Binge


     While I am getting used to my new hip (thanks to Lexington Medical Center and Lexington Orthopedics), I continue binge-watching Mad Men  on Netflix. Earlier I saw the middle part, but now I started from the beginning snd now am in the middle of Season 5.

      Well-written and -acted, most of the characters appall me. While I am not prude, I am appalled by the behavior, attitudes, and phoniness of most of the cast.There is no check on their morality, ethics, or libidos.
Sadly, I do not think we have learned a whole lot from those times.

       This song from the era keeps playing in my head.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpblaBb93fo

Monday, June 10, 2019

Incredible Review of "Accents" on Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35168636-accents

Scroll down for poet Barbara Garay's  review! And see other ones! Thanks, Barbara!

"Accents" is available exclusively on Amazon KDP and contains some of my finest work, in my opinion!


Tuesday, June 4, 2019

More thoughts on the Gil Thorp Storyline


    https://www.gocomics.com/gilthorp/2019/06/03

   Gil's wife Mimi, also a coach, has her hands full with the "Too Cool for School" movement in her team. She tells the team to read Orwell's Animal Farm over the weekend, and the team will discuss the book on Monday.

   The strip linked above shows the problem with education today. The student says she is "reading about" the book, not actually reading it. Heaven forbid that students actually READ the original text! It's more about the work ethic; taking the easy way becomes second nature Students carry that attitude over to their adult lives, and usually pay the price for it. t best, it's a chewing-out and maybe losing one job. At worst, it leads to a series of similar jobs that lead nowhere.

   This week I conclude a 25-year career teaching high school.  I have taught in three states and will continue as an adjunct at a local two-year technical college (where I have been for 14 years. Over that time I have seen an erosion of the work ethic. I tell students to take a work ethic from me if nothing else. There are enough students who have one to give me some encouragement, but it is not like it used to be!

"Epiphanies" from Alien Buddha Press- Available on Amazon- Read a story here

https://alienbuddhapress.wordpress.com/author/alienbuddhapress/       I am so thrilled about this short story collection,, my first one. Ali...