Category Archives: Without Ritual, Autonomous Negotiations

You destroyed me (Photo and Poetry)

You destroyed me. You destroyed me. You destroyed my home. You destroyed my family, too. You completely changed my nature. You never asked me for permission. You knew I would shout no. You saw life as a competition. But, still I shout my suffering. You made me a destroyer. You thought I was an easy target.Continue reading “You destroyed me (Photo and Poetry)”

Previewing BULLY with Writer and Composer Dr. Aaron Alon – Interview Series #1

I spoke with my friend Aaron Alon about BULLY, his new musical film which follows a teen who commits suicide after being bullied. The independent film will be released in 2017. AJP: Thank you, Aaron, for taking the time to discuss BULLY with me. I’m really excited to learn more about it and to see the film.Continue reading “Previewing BULLY with Writer and Composer Dr. Aaron Alon – Interview Series #1”

Emotional Demands of College

Being in my ninth year of teaching, I am just about convinced that the biggest obstacle for most new students relates to the time and emotional demands of college. I generally reject notions that students being underprepared for college equates to a significant obstacle because students have always been underprepared for college since the creation of whatContinue reading “Emotional Demands of College”

Aged Stillness – Adventures in Creative Writing

Aged Stillness   Hidden fortresses  Hidden, starving hearts  Hidden within boxes with potential echoes in mourning’s fog Hidden within tangled webs with disguised hopes and fears Hidden, now forgotten  with blind victims  Hidden, faint potential echoes linger with longings to shatter the hidden and resurrect bygone utopias   

“What do you do to avoid being attacked, raped, or otherwise violated?”

We discussed voice, marginalization, and privilege this past week in my First Year Seminar classes. Students did an incredible job, especially considering the difficult nature of these topics, especially various privilege systems: White, male, Christian, able-bodied, cis-gendered, etc. The conversation in each class took completely different directions, which I love! For this blog, I wantedContinue reading ““What do you do to avoid being attacked, raped, or otherwise violated?””

The Wonderful Power of “Name One Thing You Learned Today”

Recently, I have been re-reminded of the power of ending classes with a 5-10 minute discussion where each student names one thing they learned during the lesson that day. The only rule is they can’t name something another student has already mentioned. Rather than doing this as a written quiz/writing assignment, I like to doContinue reading “The Wonderful Power of “Name One Thing You Learned Today””