Celebrity children’s books usually suck. The good news about Al Yankovic’s When I Grow Up (2011, illustrated by Wes Hargis) is that it does not suck. Unlike many celebrity books, it does not star a child version of the author, it does not simply add illustrations to one of his songs, and nor does it
Since Lady Gaga’s new single “Born This Way” made its debut last month, critics have alleged that the song is “derivative” or even a “rip off” of Madonna songs like “Express Yourself.” And, of course it is. But that also doesn’t matter in the least. All pop music is derivative. “Express Yourself” (1989) borrows from
Born 107 years ago today in Springfield Mass., Theodor Seuss Geisel had an extraordinarily prolific career. Â Most people know him for the 44 books he wrote and illustrated under the name “Dr. Seuss.” Â But that’s only part of his career. Â He wrote another 13 books under the name “Theo. LeSieg,” one book as “Rosetta Stone,”
As has been noted previously on this blog, a color Sunday Barnaby ran from 1946 to 1948 – apt, because when in 1942 Crockett Johnson showed cartoonist (and PM Art Editor) Charles Martin a Sunday strip, Martin then shared the strip with PM Comics Editor Hannah Baker.  She decided to run it, beginning Barnaby‘s ten-year run.  Apart from these
Starting last Saturday, I began chronicling just what I do every day – in an effort to make visible the (usually invisible) work that academics do.  Now that this week-long experiment has concluded, I am glad to take your questions. Q: 62 hours! Was that more or less than you expected? A: I honestly had
Yes, this week-long series is coming to an end today. Â This is the final installment in my attempt – via a brief autobiographical account of my daily activities – to explain precisely how academics spend their days. Â Tomorrow, I’ll offer some reflections on life in the panopticon & answer any questions you may have. Â But
As noted on day one and on subsequent days, the purpose of this self-indulgent chronicle is, via a daily log, to explain the job of a professor. So, it is with a mixture of pleasure and chagrin that the management of this blog welcomes you to… Thursday, 24 Feb. 2011 11:45 pm (Weds.) – 3:15
Welcome to the fifth installment of navel-gazing with aspirations. Â As noted on day one, the attempt here is to make academic work visible. Â Thus: welcome to the day that some call the middle of the week. Â (If one works on weekends, do weeks have middles? Â Do they have beginnings? Â Do they ever end?) Wednesday, 23
Continuing my mix of narcissism and public service, I bring you day 4 in this week-long series of just what in the heck a college professor does with his or her time. Â I hope the “public service” element is winning out over the “narcissism” element, but I have my doubts. Â Anyhow, here is… Tuesday, 22
Continuing this quixotic exercise, here is the third entry (of seven) chronicling One Week in the Life of an English Professor (hi, there!). Â As noted on the first post, the goal is to make visible just what the heck it is someone like me actually does. Â Such labor was invisible to me when I was