education The Opening of Ta-Nehisi Coates' The Message A letter means to break through this. All of this.
american politics The need for sensitivity to community in Texas I lived in Dallas 20 years and I thought I knew a lot about Texas.
poetry Emily Dickinson, "Pain — has an Element of Blank" (650) Dickinson claims "Pain – has an Element of Blank." I can't help but think how uncomfortable we are with that notion.
american politics Texan Constitutionalism, if you will, and a Short Introduction to Civil Rights and Liberties One of the best ways to understand the law is to understand the political debates adjacent to it.
poetry Emily Dickinson, "I worked for chaff and earning Wheat" (J 1269) The question for us is our devotion to the worthless.
american politics Intro to Texas Government: What does it mean to be Texan? What does it mean to be an American? I want to start with the question that's the heart of the course: What does it mean to be Texan?
american politics bell hooks' Definition of Love and our Present Political Moment If we're going to have a better politics, someone has to stand for something real.
poetry Graham Foust, "The Only Poem" I'm staring at Foust's last lines of "The Only Poem:" Even in danger, / you're a writer, liar.
poetry Emily Dickinson, "There is no Frigate like a Book" ...how to respond to someone determined to tell you everything you're reading is worthless?
poetry Jane Hirshfield, "A Chair in Snow" I thought I should share Jane Hirshfield's "A Chair in Snow" because it so beautifully illustrates the weight of the season.
education Remarks for Sigma Kappa Delta's Friendsgiving ...the question for us this holiday season is how to be genuinely grateful.
emily dickinson Emily Dickinson, "The power to be true to You" (464) Dickinson does not inch toward the cosmic.
american politics On Attending the 2024 Northeastern Political Science Association Conference You are owed an explanation about conferences.
american politics Post-Election Reading List The readings below are not meant to be anti-Trump or anti-GOP. They are attempts to inform people's expectations.
education Four Ideas About Leadership I never thought I'd talk about leadership in the way business schools or youth pastors do.
education A few short remarks to open "Monstrous Musings," Odessa College's Poetry and Storytelling Night I think what's hitting me most nowadays is neglect.
poetry Five Short Meditations on Rae Armantrout's "Djinn" Armantrout's first stanza, about the terrain ghosts create, brings into relief the strange world-building of lying.
poetry Jane Hirshfield, "I sat in the sun" Jane Hirshfield opens the sacredness of the everyday in "I sat in the sun."
philosophy Introduction to Philosophy, Lecture 8: Sample Final Exam Much has been said about the public's addiction to cable news or TikTok.
philosophy Introduction to Philosophy, Lecture 7: Normative Ethics Education is your responsibility to your community.
american politics A few remarks on class in America, or on the importance of subtext Part of the problem with explaining social class and wealth to you is that I'm not entirely sure how it all works.
philosophy Introduction to Philosophy, Lecture 6: Plato's "Apology" The examined life is a radical proposition, and I can't tell you that everyone will be happier if they aim for it.