Small stone #29

Bob Marley in the dress shop makes the track lighting feel like sunshine, and all these bohemian prints and bell-sleeves tunics make me yearn for sandalwood incense and a Red Stripe, the sizzle of kebobs on the barbecue, and the green grass cool and dewy between my toes. I’m participating in the River of StonesContinue reading “Small stone #29”

How textbooks are becoming cool

A few years ago, when all this technology was still emerging, I wrote a short piece advocating a major revolution in the textbook industry: I called for the educational publishing industry to replace print texts with e-textbooks.  That piece became part of a chapter in a book on compassionate teaching that I’m writing, but itContinue reading “How textbooks are becoming cool”

A Writer’s Notebook: Spoken word video

A video is a strange thing to include in a Writer’s Notebook, at least in the sense that I couldn’t have written this in my little brown notebook with the unlined paper. But the purpose of the online Notebook is simply to create, and I’ll use whatever medium works. So bear with me, and I’llContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: Spoken word video”

Photo blog 39

“Word on the street.”  Musicians in Chicago, IL, 12 July 2009. Soapbox moment: I strongly support public artists like muralists, sidewalk chalk artists, street musicians, and street poets.  So yes, in exchange for the privilege of taking these photos and listening to some great music, I did tip both these musicians.  I also thanked them. Continue reading “Photo blog 39”

And we’re live (again)*

Are we re-alive? Re-animated? A zombie? Whatever the case, here we are, exactly one year after I migrated over to WordPress and expanded my blog to become a website, and now I’ve relaunched as–well, really, the same thing. Only cleaner, with better organization. My website has matured. And taken a shower and combed its hair.Continue reading “And we’re live (again)*”

Small stone #25

This evening, I sat in a small auditorium with a crowd of artists and intellectuals. On the stage sat three men: Dez Skinn, the British comics editor who founded Warrior magazine and helped launch the careers of Dave Gibbons, David Lloyd, Alan Moore, and Grant Morrison. Charles Kochman, an American graphic novel editor who championed Diary ofContinue reading “Small stone #25”