Category Archives: academia

Actis Temporibus

Posted on January 1, 2024 by JE

For a few years I’ve had a Latin version of “Auld Lang Syne” on my Latin-for-the-holidays handout, but I’ve never been crazy about it. For one thing, it erases the repetitions in the original. For another, references to drinking have … Continue reading →

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Falcons in Flight Over the Great Black Swamp

Posted on August 21, 2023 by JE

Fall classes have commenced at Great Black Swamp University. The weather isn’t very autumnal yet, but maybe it will be by sometime in midwinter.

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Eldritch Lore of Lightning, Stars, and Magic

Posted on August 10, 2023 by JE

On Facebook, Michael Swanwick mentioned a historical (or maybe apocryphal) episode when the Pope invited Etruscan seers to use lightning magic to defend Rome against Alaric and his Ostrogoths. It’s a pretty good story, whether or not it’s actually history. … Continue reading →

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Rumba with the Rhomboi

Posted on June 23, 2023 by JE

This image of the Kylix of Durides and Calliades came up in my Mastodon newsfeed today. (The source wasn’t attributed, but see some more images here.)

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Facts About Fiction

Posted on June 22, 2023 by JE

Studies show that most studies don’t show what they show. Still, this is an interesting and well-sourced piece about the connections between reading and empathy. https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/reading-fiction-empathy-better-person/

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Slay Ride

Posted on June 14, 2023 by JE

The latest round of student papers gave me a chance to use one of my favorite cut-and-paste comments. The principal parts of this verb are: slay, slew, slain. “Bob slays monsters. Joan slew monsters. Hey, all my monsters have been … Continue reading →

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Serifer Madness

Posted on June 12, 2023 by JE

I know lots of people love the sans-serif type of font, but I hate its guts because it elides a significant distinction, between lower case L and upper case I, both appearing as the same glyph. For highly literate people … Continue reading →

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Fellowship of the Thing

Posted on May 20, 2023 by JE

Apologies for my relative silence on social media. I’m engaged on a lunatic plan to write a pair of novels over the summer, and I’ve made some significant progress. This evening I got north of 20,000 words on one (a … Continue reading →

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Cure for the Summertime Blues

Posted on May 8, 2023 by JE

I’ve been somewhat dreading my summer course without realizing why. Today, as I was starting to set it up, I figured that out. The last time I taught a full course online was during COVID lockdown, and the process is … Continue reading →

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Outline or Straight-Out Lying?

Posted on May 8, 2023 by JE

Whenever I’m writing anything substantial, there comes a moment where I look at the outline and am reminded of this old Sidney Harris cartoon. If it’s a fantasy novel, frequently what’s required is an actual miracle. Those are the easy … Continue reading →

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