Sometimes it’s good to get outta BR, paddle in the swamp at night, go to the city and…put on a costume, give candy to strangers, fake-film people with painted cardboard and dance to techno while two male witches have words. Word of advice: if you can’t get a cab, best to just walk. If you [...]
Here’s the link to a recent story on NPR about a recently opened charter school in New York City called The Equity Project (TEP). They’re allocating their public funding to pay their teachers $125,000/yr while the principal earns $90,000. People may not get into teaching for the money, but that’s exactly the problem, so let’s [...]
*this post is inspired by the recent announcement that the balloon boy saga was a hoax. his parents met in acting school. enjoy.*
(a monologue)
I used to always say that I hated actors. This meant I hated artifice, pretense, and facades. I hated attention-getting melodrama. I hated the praise lauded on acting as talent, hated the [...]
She has an ant bite on her ankle that hasn’t yet healed.
She stood at the edge of her driveway, arms crossed very tightly. The blue and red plaid of her shirt twisted around her torso like her body might torque into a tornado at any minute. Her limbs and shoulders contorted into a posture of [...]
In honor of the beginning of a new school year, here is an essay I wrote upon my resignation as a teacher, and a different resignation as someone whose ideal job is to teach. Our city is experiencing a strikingly high murder rate this summer–disturbingly high, and guess what? Blame for our [...]
One thing that I DON’T miss about teaching is dealing with students’ misguided attempts at self-defense and justice.
My momma says if someone hits me hit back!
That’s what our presidents say, too, it is commonly agreed upon.
Then again, Marvin Gaye said only love can conquer hate, and Dr. King said only light can drive out darkness [...]
My skepticism of democracy’s efficacy has always stemmed from my belief that what is popular is not always what is right. That being said, one recent Saturday I decided to participate in a part of the democratic process. I picked up a friend of mine in Addis, and with our drive-thru daiquiris in [...]
When my mother moved to Baton Rouge in 1974 from Gainesville, Florida, she felt like she had gone back in time twenty years. She went from a town of longhaired, liberal hippies to one of conservative crew cuts and good ole boys. When last year I decided to move back here, she worried [...]
We are BR! New Orleans: Proud to crawl/swim/call it home. Louisiana: Third World and Proud of it! Save/Pave LSU. Vote for the crook, it’s important!
“You didn’t know Louisiana was dysfunctional? Have you ever been to Louisiana? It’s a miracle the state’s name is right on the license plate!”
-Jon Stewart, addressing Michael D. Brown
When I was [...]