My freshman year of college was one of indecision. I had committed to major in Electrical Engineering, not because I had any particular interest in it, but because I had done very well in math…
When I first came to academia, I fancied myself a problem solver beyond compare. After all, I was a Computer Scientist, one of the few on campus, and no one had my programming skills. Actually,…
Hi. I’m Dr. Jackie White, Associate Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of English Studies & World Languages, native Illinoisan, proud holder of a U.S. passport, child of the Americas, citizen of the world. I’m…
In a recent edition of The New Republic, Adam Kirsch provides a helpful guide to understanding various uses of the term “the digital humanities,” and provides some cautionary words about becoming seduced by some…
In past blogs I’ve brought to your attention a number of recent publications that aim to underscore the importance of the humanities and, more particularly, demonstrate the values of reading literature, either as part…
Mark Edmundson raises a provocative question in his new book: Why Teach? (Bloomsbury Press, 2013). How is it possible that this question has any saliency? Edmundson is a professor of English at the University of Virginia…