Social media is a hyper-emotional space, fraught with extreme opinions, extreme sensitivities, extreme expressions conveyed in extreme compression which leads to extreme misunderstanding. This is true on Facebook, on blogs, on Instagram, on Reddit, and perhaps especially on Twitter, where the limitation of 140 characters demands an extreme attention to and care with language butContinue reading “On words and awareness and ignorance and compassion”
Author Archives: Samuel Snoek-Brown
Texas Rising — in a cloud of dust and a fog of history
When I was a boy living in Texas, I loved The Dukes of Hazzard. I watch their TV show constantly, I had the General Lee in both Hot Wheels size and the large action-figure size because I also had the action figures of Bo and Luke Duke. I often had them mingle with my actionContinue reading “Texas Rising — in a cloud of dust and a fog of history”
Texas Rising — a yellow rose blooms, but mind the thorns
So, before I get into the third episode of Texas Rising, I would like to start with the show’s own disclaimer: “The following program is a dramatic interpretation of Texas’ fight for independence. Viewer discretion is advised.” I suppose the “viewer discretion” they advise is to focus on the “interpretation” part and not take any of this tooContinue reading “Texas Rising — a yellow rose blooms, but mind the thorns”
New publication
I’ve been a huge fan of Eunoia Review for a long while now, and I’ve been honored to be among their contributors three times now, and they’ve been home to some of my favorite stories. Today, I’m happy to say that Eunoia has published a fourth story of mine, and, depending on how you measureContinue reading “New publication”
Texas waters rising (and how to help)
Yesterday, I posted a review of the History Channel miniseries Texas Rising, and I plan to post more reviews as the series continues the next few Mondays. But I wanted to save this news for its own, separate post: all of the areas depicted in that series, from the Alamo and San Antonio de Béxar to GoliadContinue reading “Texas waters rising (and how to help)”
Texas Rising — and quickly falling
I grew up in Texas, where the hagiography of early Texans and the aggrandizing of our heritage (or, at least, our Anglo heritage) was mandatory. People think I’m participating in the tradition of tall tales when I say a thing like that, but it’s true: in Texas schools, you learn Texas history before you learn AmericanContinue reading “Texas Rising — and quickly falling”
Faculty Spotlight: me!
Every few weeks or so, the community college where I teach selects a couple of faculty members to highlight by posting a photo of them in the hallway alongside a kind of Q&A about their personal life. It’s a fun way for the students to get to know their teachers and for us faculty to get toContinue reading “Faculty Spotlight: me!”
This is The End, but not of the Jersey Devil
The May issue of Jersey Devil Press is out, and it’s full of the usual shenanigans: stunning prose poems, otherworldly obelisks invoking transcendence, blessed/cursed warriors, anthropomorphic animals in the workplace, and, of course, the apocalypse at the end of it all. Everything always ends in the apocalypse. There’s even some moody noir artwork on the cover,Continue reading “This is The End, but not of the Jersey Devil”
AWP Minneapolis wrap-up: my students respond
Back from Minneapolis less than 24 hours and I was in my classroom, rearranging the tables and spreading out all my books, magazines, brochures, business cards, submission flyers, notebooks, pens, fake tattoos, noisemakers, and buttons, creating my own miniature bookfair for my students. And yes, I let them take a lot of what I brought back (but not myContinue reading “AWP Minneapolis wrap-up: my students respond”
New publication
So, I mentioned yesterday that Blue Skirt Productions was one of my favorite tables at AWP. One of the reasons was that they ran a contest for their literary magazine, Microfiction Monday: they provided these 4×4 sticky note and asked folks to submit microfiction that fit on it. Ideally, one hundred words or fewer. And it was a contest,Continue reading “New publication”
Samuel Snoek-Brown 