writerly rhetoric. the literature of life.

“I moved to Havana after September 11th. I opened up the first English language bookstore. It’s been great, but living there has been a major challenge to my introversion. When I lived in New York, I could choose to not interact with people. But that’s not really an option in Cuba. Introversion isn’t really ‘a thing.’ If you’re alone, then something must be wrong. Birthdays are the worst. My friends make me have a party every year. I’ve got to have one slice of cake before I’m allowed to go home. And I have this 86-year-old neighbor named Terasita that always assumes I’m lonely and brings me fritters. I resisted at first because I really value my alone time. I’d lock the doors. I’d turn off the lights. But resistance is futile. They’re so persistent.”

Learn more about the contributions of African American women to history in our collection: s.si.edu/2n1O7x5 #HiddenHerstory

“I teach English at a community college in Queens. I love the job, but I hate grading papers. I’d prefer to just have one continuous discussion about Shakespeare. I envy the math teachers who can just put their tests through a Scantron machine. Placing value on a student’s writing is much more nuanced and complicated. What if they have great ideas but their English language skills aren’t as developed? What if English is their second language? What if they’ve faced major challenges in life? Do I ignore those things? Or do I consider context while grading? I want to set high standards and prepare my students for what comes next. But so many of them already have a self-defeating attitude. And I don’t want to discourage them any further.”

Such a great thread on Trump U and for profit universities!

This and more in today’s culture roundup.

Dave Isay, the founder of StoryCorps, recently won the TED Prize, and stated that his wish was for everyone in the world to record a meaningful interview with a loved one, acquaintance, or even a stranger. StoryCorps released a free app that helps in that process. It makes it super easy to create a great interview by selecting from a list of thought-provoking questions. Some questions I recognized as ones that I also ask. Some I hadn’t thought of before, and look forward to trying in the future. The app automatically records, stores, and uploads the interview. If you’re a parent or teacher, I think this is such a great tool to create a project around in order to expand the horizons of your children. I’d recommend adding the extra element of using the app to interview a stranger. Engaging a stranger in a meaningful conversation can be very intimidating, and the growth that comes from the exercise can be substantial. I think Dave’s mission is a noble one, and I want to encourage everyone to download the StoryCorps app. If nothing else, it can give you ideas for prompts to make your everyday conversations more meaningful. You can get it here: http://bit.ly/1NmImwh

Photo: Sam Charters, shown in 1963, was a jug player at the Vanguard. Credit Ann Charters

Thanks #phdstudents for the fun!

My fiancé is a 38 y.o. Hispanic-American; I am a 31 y.o. Asian-American. We are not Trayvon Martin. But we could be. And it terrifies and saddens me to know that our children could be. Texas is a very diverse state, but it is a red state through and through, and we are still living in the...