CHARISMATIC MEGAFAUNA

By Quiconque

Out of the Mouths, or Word Processors, of Babes

I have more than sixty papers and exams to grade over the next two weeks. Don't pity me. I did this to myself. I could have given my students a scan-tron multiple choice test and been done with it. But no! I have to be a professor who cares about pedagogy, writing, and creative thinking. Stupid professor.

My workload did not prevent me from celebrating the birthday of a certain whiskey drinking mama this past Monday. I find that the quality of student writing improves vastly after I've had three or four whiskeys. Even so, there were still some gems...

For example, "drug attics" are a terrible problem in New York City.

Consider this Joycean analysis of urban poverty: �It is like a cycle almost like a never ending pattern that is ignored and is seen everyday.�

Finally, one student unwittingly and brilliantly pushed current economic debates beyond the tired notion of the "deserving poor": �He was described as a hard working man that was in the middle hard working class.�

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LINKS

DIARYRINGS

READING: The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon

WATCHING: Season finales on the WB. "Luke, will you marry me?"