Hi there, fellow quarantiner / social-distancer! I made a video for you. These are 5 things I am doing to keep myself going during the pandemic. (There are other things I’m doing, obviously. But I’ve limited myself to 5 here.) What are you doing? How are you keeping yourself going? Anything working really well for
Inspired by videos of Italians singing to or playing music for each other, I am starting a new feature on this blog: #PlagueSongs Each Tuesday, I will post a video of me performing a “plague-themed” song, very broadly defined. It is my way of standing on my balcony and singing to you. Since I do
Last June, on rather short notice, the Artistic Director for the Adventure Theatre Company asked if I would write a program note for their upcoming production of The Cat in the Hat (June 18-August 21, 2019). They had read my work on Seuss and racism, shared these concerns, and asked if I could provide something,
Comics and Graphic Narratives for Young Audiences Co-sponsored by the MLA Forum on Comics and Graphic Narratives and the MLA Forum on Children’s and Young Adult Literature. This panel for the 2021 MLA Convention in Toronto (Jan 7-10, 2021) explores intersections between children’s literature and comics (including manga and graphic novels). All periods and nations welcome. Children’s
As last week’s failed attempt at diversifying classic literature recedes in your memory (the pace of news can overwhelm, I know), over at Oxford University Press’ blog today is a piece I turned in on Friday. I offer five better ways that publisher might bring diversity to the classic novels. Here’s an excerpt: Publishers and
I thought I would begin 2020 with something joyous – the 30th anniversary of They Might Be Giants‘ Flood, the band’s first album with a major label (Elektra), and the one that launched them into mainstream Anglo-American culture. (“Birdhouse in Your Soul” reached #6 on the UK charts and #3 on the US Modern Rock charts.)
Just under the wire, here’s my “Best of 2019” playlist. Have I missed some good music? I expect I have. That’s what the “comments” section is for. It’s also why I’m including a few other “Best of 2019” playlists here. First, here’s mine, named for Sleater-Kinney’s “The Future Is Here.” I probably listened to their
With thanks to Ramona Caponegro for creating the initial document, here are the panels devoted to Children’s Literature, Comics/Graphic Novels, or Childhood Studies at the 2020 Modern Language Association Convention in Seattle. Hope to see you there! Also, if anything is missing, please alert me and I will add it. Thank you! 080. Diverse Destinies:
Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Just for you (yes, you!), here are some musical selections – in many genres. The mixes’ themes cover a range of moods, and the songs themselves are in many varieties. Countdown to Christmas An eclectic, mostly peppy mix – it winds down a bit at the end. Many genres: jazz, punk, big band,
