Wednesday, October 16, 2013




You can see many examples of these rules in practice in Orwell's work, but they're broken down very neatly for us here:


http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/george-orwells-5-rules-for-effective-writing/

Happy writing!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

A prank on Best Buy compels us to take a moment to reflect on the role of gadgets in our lives. We want, we need, and especially with technology, the newest gear holds promise, even if it's something we've never required before.

California-based street artist Plastic Jesus stocked local Best Buy stores with this compelling fake, "Useless Plasticbox 1.2." The box does exactly what it claims to: absolutely nothing.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

New scholarship at the intersection of gender studies and the history of fashion! In "Pink Wasn't Always Girly," Jo Paoletti (University of Maryland) and Valerie Steele (Fashion Institute of Technology) examine the history of coding pink as a feminine color.
Photo credit: elisecathlene/flickr

Friday, August 9, 2013

I typically reserve this blog for academic matters, but I recently watched an important short film by Werner Herzog, From One Second to the Next. The film documents the experiences of victims and perpetrators of texting-while-driving, and their stories serve as a brutal and heartbreaking reminder that, no matter how important that text message may seem, it can wait.

    Werner Herzog