Raining Cats and Dogma

My typical experience of grading final papers in composition classes has been a slew of fairly dry and usually unsophisticated rehashes of front page news with only the occaisonal gem that really approaches a subject in a fresh manner. This semester, though, I've gotten some of the bets topics I've ever seen, and in such numbers that I cann't even begin to describe my joy. I'm actually enjoying reading many of these papers, and learning tons! Some topics include:
· The impact of globalization in South Africa
· National identity for Vietnam draft dodgers expatriating to Canada
· Dowry deaths in India as feminist and human rights issue
· The compatibility of democracy and Islamic national identity
· Whether the British effectively created linguistic states in India by developing Muslim and Hindu versions of Hindustanee.
· Disney as a uniquely American attempt at Utopia
· Whether private universities provide a better education and why such a perception exists
· How and how much religious practice affects adult identity formation in college students.
· How and how much name choice impacts identity formation
· Ways that parents of Korean adoptees can foster ethnic identity for their children
· Approaches to Islamic veiling practices
· How to demystify the American beauty myth
· Chinese Cambodians and their (successful?) integration into Cambodian society
· Untouchable rights in India
· Whether American Jews should support a Palestinian state and if this undermines their Jewish identity.
· The availability of cultural icons and role models for African American men beyond sports and entertainment.
· How to best respond to French anti-American sentiment.
· Why Latino political activity is so low (esp. in N.E.) and how to address this problem
· Transgender rights and state endorsement
· How the contemporary “stay-at-home mom” compares to the 50’s “homemaker” and whether such roles represent any real improvement.
· Whether body art constitutes free speech and whether it should be protected as such
· Whether the Pledge of Allegiance represents a violation of church and state separation, How this reflects on “real” American identity, and why it matters.

It's a far cry from twelve papers each on internet file sharing, nutritional supplement use on professional sports, whether college athletes should be paid, and whether human cloning is ethical. Alas.

Posted by at 9:12 PM | Permalink

Babies are closing in on three weeks old, and their schedule seems to be settling into "the new normal." What that also means is that I have to settle into some sort of new normal that involves teaching, grading, writing up research and still finidng time to snuggle up to little ones. Of course those of you with kids out there know that already, don't you?

So I'm grading, slowly, already. I'm finding that grading with an infant in one arm is harder than it looks.

I'm also looking at writing up a conference paper idea or two that I've been working on. The most recent MLA newsletter has a particularly juicy panel called "Feminists on and in Love" that would work really well for the updated version of the article on staged representations of feminist heterosexual desire. Plus, I'm trying to find a piece that might be appropriate for the Comparative Drama Conference at Ohio State, but the deadline for that is mid-December, and I've got other things on my plate right now.

Posted by at 9:33 AM | Permalink

Posted by at 11:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As if getting two children safely into the world on Thursday wasn't good enough for me, the universe decided to be extra generous andgrant me an acceptance on an article I submitted to Modern Drama.

What's that other shoe look like again?

And, until I can get a separate blog set up of baby pictures, fear not, here's today's grand prize winner.

Posted by at 6:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I am thrilled to announce that the famous Claycomb twins are here for an indefinite performance at Chez Claycomb, after a nine-month tour of the womb circuit.

Collin Francis Claycomb was born at 10:57am on !0/30, 2003. He was 18 3/4 inches, 5 pounds 12 ounces. He has his mommy's nose and very cute little chin, and apparently he wrinkles his forehead up, just like his Daddy did when he was first born, according to sources who wished only to be known as "Mom-Mom" and "Pappy."

Lilah Paige Claycomb followed a minute after at 10:58, but fearing she'd be stuck with the "little sister" moniker for the rest of her life, came out with a whopping 13 ounces on her brother, weighing in at 6 pounds 9 ounces, 19 1/2 inches. After careful consideration, she has decided that her name shall be, for the time being, "Paige." She will consider "Lilah" down the line, but she believes "Paige" better matches her adorable dark hair.

Ann is doing great, and coming home tomorrow. Nurses say her recovery is going remarkably well. She is pleased about the success of her "birth weight loss plan" (TM), although she does admit to some side effects, including the eighteen year, $100K cost of such a diet.

I am, of course, and emotional ball of nerves, but that's to be expected.

And without further adieu . . . the photos:

Posted by at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)