Literary Faults

Today I read about a forthcoming talk by Robert Wendover, director of the Center for Generational Studies. Wendover is speaking on campus next week about “Millennial Students,” those born between 1981 and 1999. According to the write-up, he identifies the following traits as being typical of this generation:

1) Most college students believe that all their classes should directly relate to their vocations. They perceive general education as superfluous and do not understand how it will help them in their chosen career.

2) Students believe that instructors should make classes entertaining and exciting. Raised in an age of multimedia and instant gratification, they have short attention spans and expect to be entertained in everything they do.

3) Today’s college students tend to have weaker critical thinking skills than previous generations. This is probably a consequence of what Mr. Wendover calls the “menu-driven mentality” of individuals raised in the age of computers — they feel that options should be presented to them and they are especially weak in inductive reasoning skills.

I will have to miss Wendover’s talk, which is a shame, as he will discuss strategies for overcoming the obstacles noted above. From my own experience, I believe numbers 1 and 2 are quite accurate. Careerism is a dominant trait among those I’ve taught at three schools (especially my business writing students), and very few students appreciate the traditional classroom arrangement in which a professor lectures and students take notes. The challenge, therefore, is to create a dynamic environment that will maintain student interest and, one hopes, lead to learning.

As for the deterioration of critical thinking skills among Millennial Students, I’m just not sure. I would want to hear what my senior colleagues have to say on that score, as they would be better able to gauge the differences between students today and those from, say, the 1980s. I have taught college classes for ten years now (a fact which still dazes me a bit), but have not noted a tremendous falling off in the skills of my students. Of course, perhaps that is because I have mostly taught individuals born after 1981?

I would argue that the opening credits are the best segment of Flashdance, the iconic film of 1983. With the Academy Award-winning theme song playing in the background, the scenes of a gritty Pittsburgh raised my hopes that this film would have some substance. Once the ridiculous dialogue started, however, it was all downhill. Still, the unintentional comedy was highly entertaining — such as when the ballet judges are blown away by the breakdancing of Jennifer Beals (actually performed by a man in a wig).

My ratings for Flashdance and other recently-viewed films are below:

Flashdance

Coming Home

Atonement

Strangers with Candy

Sommersby

As of this month, I’m moving my film ratings here to the blog. (For older ratings, see my now-outdated film page.) The movies below comprise those seen since about the first of April. I suppose I was most disappointed with American Gangster, most pleasantly surprised by Juno, and most impressed by Away from Her. I’ll add more ratings as the summer moves forward.

The Orphanage

The Barbarian Invasions

Lars and the Real Girl

Matchstick Men

Open Range

3:10 to Yuma

The Hurricane

American Gangster

Dodgeball

The Bourne Ultimatum

Paths of Glory

28 Weeks Later

Paris, Texas

The Kingdom

Hairspray (2007)

Touch of Evil

Juno

Memoirs of a Geisha

Without Limits

Stardust

Michael Clayton

Gone Baby Gone

Away from Her

A couple of years ago, I read with interest a New Yorker article on the Donner Party, the Westward emigrants whose disastrous winter of 1846-47 resulted in rumors of cannibalism. The article explored the archaeological record of the Donner campsites in the Sierra Nevada, and followed a pair of scholars hoping to discover more about what truly occurred there.

A few months back, I discovered that the New Yorker granted an archaeology website the permission to post the article. If interested, just follow this link to “Excavating the Donner Party” by Dana Goodyear.

Those who have visited the Ambrose Bierce Project know that I use the domain www.ambrosebierce.org. “.ORG” is the extension of choice for most humanities computing projects, since academic sites aren’t part of the commercial world. Such sites only rarely employ the “.COM” extension.

The other day, I received an email from an online squatter company — that is, a company who buys up attractive domain names and then offers to sell them for ridiculously high prices. This company recently acquired the domain “ambrosebierce.com” and assumed I would want to purchase it. “If you’d like to own ‘ambrosebierce.com,’” they explained, “you can buy it now by covering our acquisition costs and a modest profit.” I laughed when I saw their notion of a modest profit. They wanted $457 for a domain that would normally cost about eight dollars. I ignored the email.

Yesterday, the company contacted me again — this time offering a “24 hour discount.” The domain could be mine for $207. (At this rate, the domain will cost about $20 next week.)

The sad thing is that a perfectly good domain is being wasted by a squatter company who has no interest in it whatsoever. The same is true of thousands of other domains that might otherwise be of value to those with an interest in a particular writer, historical figure, novel, or event. For example, have a look at www.abrahamlincoln.com — a site that initially looks appealing, but which is really just intended to sell goods until a wealthy buyer comes along and bids on the domain. Even worse, visit www.ernesthemingway.com. “Papa” Hemingway would not be proud.

Below is the cartoonist R. Crumb’s “A Short History of America.” There are twelve frames in the series.

Sad but true.

I’m happy to announce the release of a new issue of the ABP Journal, “Bierce’s Civil War: Historians Respond.” I wrapped up the final pages today, and the issue is now live. This edition features original essays and reprints by leading historians of the Civil War period. The essayists include two Pulitzer Prize nominees; here are their names and affiliations:

> David W. Blight, Yale University
> Earl J. Hess, Lincoln Memorial University
> Kenneth W. Noe, Auburn University
> Brooks D. Simpson, Arizona State University
> Bjorn Skaptason, Abraham Lincoln Bookshop & Shiloh National Military Park

In addition, the issue features an interview with historian Carol Reardon (Penn State University) on the subject of Civil War literature and popular memory.

Other features include three book reviews and a themed trail guide to the Shiloh battlefield: “What I Saw of Shiloh: In the Footsteps of Ambrose Bierce.”

The issue can be accessed here, or by visiting:

http://www.ambrosebierce.org/journal.html

Today Sarah and I attended a Hillary Clinton rally at East High School in Erie. We went not so much because of the cause, but because of the featured speaker: former president Bill Clinton. Having never seen a president up close before, let alone our favorite one, we were more than happy to stand outside in a long, long, long line for the chance to enter the school.

Once inside, we were ushered onto the floor of the gym. The bleachers were already full, but we had an excellent view of the podium from where we stood. When Bill at last took the stage, 45 minutes late, a wild shriek went up from the crowd and hundreds of camera flashes went off. With a giant American flag mounted on the wall behind him, he looked as presidential as the day he left office (maybe more so, now that his hair has gone wholly white).

I must say that it was pretty cool to see Bill Clinton live, pacing the stage and practicing all the famous Clintonian gestures and lip-biting. Way back in 1992, I volunteered for the Clinton campaign in Northern Virginia, stuffing literature into screen doors and mailboxes. I really didn’t know much about him at the time (the good nor the bad), but today things were different. I felt like I knew that guy up on the stage, which I suppose is how most Americans feel, or want to feel, about their politicians. We like to believe that we know their personalities, talents, and shortcomings in the same way that we know those things about our family and friends.

Perhaps that helps explain Bill’s enduring popularity, even after the scandals of his presidency. When he fouled up, he did so according to one’s expectations for the man. There was eye-rolling and a lot of sighing, but not — as with New York Governor Eliot Spitzer — a sense of utter surprise and betrayal.

How many Erie residents were at the rally more because of a fascination with Bill than because of a love for Hillary? I’m not sure, but I doubt the Clinton campaign is too worried about it. If he brings in the crowds, and swings even a few more votes in her direction, then he will have done his part. Now I just need to figure out which candidate I’ll be voting for on April 22. (I’m pretty sure I know, but I’ll use the next month to be certain.)

No, the title of this post has nothing to do with my immaturity (or the end thereof). Rather, it has to do with $$$.

Tonight I had the distinct pleasure of writing my very last check to Chase Auto Finance, effectively paying off the 2004 Subaru. After four years of monthly payments, I have at last erased the loan. Even Chase Auto seems to think of this as a memorable occasion; the company sent me a special Maturation Notice, printed in a more elegant font than normal. Impressive.

Let’s just hope the car doesn’t go into a death rattle the moment the last check clears…

Lest you think I’m the only Craig Warren haunting the web, I suggest you visit the feature story below. Not only is there another CW, but he may even be stranger than me!

“Craig Warren: Bat-Fan”
October 27, 2007

Suddenly, college football doesn’t seem like such an odd hobby, does it?