Monthly Archives: February 2009

Later today I’m going to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia. Why, you may ask, is a middle-aged, constantly anxious woman going to a monastery today? The short answer is “Opposites attract.” The longer answer is that … Continue reading →

These are a few of my favorite things. Comments from Sharon Kessler are always uplifting. Sharon is one of those rare people who listens. Here’s another. In the mornings, I have to shuffle my feet when I get up, half … Continue reading →

I was an early champion of Wikipedia. While other academics were pooh-poohing the notion of a collaboratively created encyclopedia, I loved the idea. Its democracy and open-minded approach to gathering information excited me. I did not recommend that students cite … Continue reading →

Vinita Hampton Wright has done it again. I was already a fan after reading her novel, Dwelling Places, which Lauren F. Winner reviewed in Christianity Today. Wright’s writing is a combination of the smooth-and-sinewy prose style of Jane Smiley with … Continue reading →

“You know what Rickrolling means, Mom?” “Rick what?” “RickROLLING.” “Never heard of it,” I mumble. “What is it?” She pulled me out of the computer chair, sat down, and typed in YouTube.com and put in RickRoll’d. That’s when I realized … Continue reading →

“A shadow was cast over the party for a full five minutes.” Here Dickens is speaking of Scrooge and the “shadow” he cast over the Cratchit’s party, when they think of the old cantankerous miser but toast him anyway. That … Continue reading →

Yep, as you guessed—they’re on Twitter. Read Murad Ahmed’s “The 50 Most Popular Celebs on Twitter.” He says that they write their own Twitter entries, too. So Stephen Fry says in one typical Tweet: “600 people went to the theatre, … Continue reading →

[Blogger's note: This blog is a response to Mr. Stanley Fish's column, "The Last Professor," in The New York Times (January 18, 2009). It caused no little stir in the academic world, flying from e-mail box to e-mail box with … Continue reading →

All my life, I’ve dreamed of going to Cirque du Soleil. I thought it would be magical. I thought I’d see something I’ve never seen before. I thought it would be unforgettable. I thought it would soar. My husband Sean … Continue reading →

So, now I am to the fun stage of writing a book. I mean the waiting part. A friend once quoted someone famous to me, saying, “I enjoy having written more than I enjoy writing.” I can relate. The research … Continue reading →

So, here’s why I am thankful to my younger, totally bumbling self. I made good friends then. And (yeah!) they keep popping up on Facebook. I had a student invite me onto Facebook 5 years ago, in 2004, and recently … Continue reading →

Today, Will Givens spoke in chapel on the Beatitudes. My husband, Sean, who was sitting next to me during this sermon, said afterwards, “I can always listen to the Beatitudes.” I agreed. Will is a Shorter graduate. He was my … Continue reading →

Can you keep up with the language of the digerati? Anyone under twelve can, happily. My 7th grader said the other day, “Mom, can you ChaCha?” I was thinking, Not very well, and imagining embarrassment and sore hips, when she … Continue reading →

Perhaps one day I will be, but right now I am not and never have been a social activist. I wonder sometimes if that means there is something seriously wrong with me. After all, I am a Christian, by which … Continue reading →