Brain… Thriving Creativity 28 Jan 20206 Jul 2020 Our culture promotes a stereotype that creators like writers and entrepreneurs must sacrifice everything—food, sleep, relationships—for the cause. Long hours, sacrifices, and courageous decisions take a toll, and exhausted people…
Change the World… Why we should put the little people first 27 Apr 20162 Sep 2019 It's state budget time! And Arizona is into a budget surplus, and out of excuses. We could fund education. We could even begin to "restore the years the locusts have eaten." Here's the letter I…
Collaboration… Love is simple, unless you have a hero complex 25 May 20132 Sep 2019 Invincible, the musical: Love is simple, unless you have a hero complex Composer Drew Nichols is an amazingly creative and artistically prolific person. (Full disclosure: I brought him into this…
Academic Writing… Grade Inflation: What’s Really Going On 3 Sep 201213 Oct 2012 I had the dubious honor of starting college during the first crackdown on grade inflation. My professors overtly ensured that every grade on our transcripts was hard-earned. Then I immediately…
Entrepreneur… Do You Look like a Writer? 25 Oct 201125 Oct 2011 Naturally, I teach my students to write, but what gets more attention is inspiring them to look employable. Before job fairs and interviews, I've taught men to choose, tie, and…
College… Online Learning Success 20 Oct 2011 Online classes can be so efficient. You waste no time in travel or trivia, but only if you manage that time! Here are a few tips for success in the…
College… What’s Your Style? 30 Jul 201115 Apr 2012 This one is for those of you who already write in complete, yet not inexhaustible sentences, and wonder whether you have any style. Of course, you do--just as you have…
Caring… Hamlet in Prison 12 Jul 201111 Jul 2011 Jack Hitt's hour-long report for This American Life on Hamlet performed by prisoners, originally broadcast in 2002, has inspired me all week with its deep insights about Hamlet and encouragement for…
Business… How to Succeed in American Business 11 Jul 2011 Teaching in a multicultural environment often includes overtly explaining American business culture and helping students practice that language. For starters, there's the direct eye contact, the body language, the smiling,…
Blogging… Most Beautiful Words 5 Jul 20114 Jul 2011 A reposting of a list of 100 Most Beautiful Words in the English Language has me wondering what my own favorites would be. For example, bucolic doesn't make my list. Its meaning, in a…
Blogging… Thanks, I Needed That! 2 Jul 20112 Jul 2011 WordPress showcased "10 Prolific Post a Day/Week Participants," and I'm one of them! Shall I tell you what this meant to me? I realized today how burned out I've become…
Composition… Friday Flick: How to Tell a Story 1 Jul 201110 Jul 2011 A great reporter is a storyteller, and Scott Simon can do that, and even teach it. Here's Scott's storytelling advice:
