Amanda Gorman's poetry shows why spoken word belongs in school
Kathleen M. Alley, Mississippi State University; Mukoma Wa Ngugi, Cornell University, and Wendy R. Williams, Arizona State University
Editor’s note: Not long after Amanda Gorman recited one of her poems at the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Jan. 20, three of her forthcoming books skyrocketed to three of the top four spots on Amazon. She was also selected to recite an original poem for Super Bowl LV. Here, three scholars of poetry explain why the writings of the 22-year-old Gorman – who became the country’s national youth poet laureate at age 17 – and her rise to fame represent a prime opportunity for educators to use spoken word poetry as a lively way to engage students.
February 10, 2021 by The Conversation
Read moreWorried about accidentally harassing a woman? Don't be
December 29, 2020 by The Conversation
Elizabeth C. Tippett, University of Oregon One of the consequences of the #MeToo movement is a simmering male anxiety that a harmless chat by the water cooler might somehow end in a harassment complaint to HR – or worse.
Read moreAt GALA Theatre:
'El Perro del hortelano'
A Courageous Theatrical Feat
The first thing that stands out when you mention Gala Theatre's new production of Lope de Vega's classic comedy, "El Perro del Hortelano", (translated as, 'The Dog in the Manger', but better described as the 'gardener's' dog, the one who doesn't eat or allow others to partake), performing live now through Nov. 22, is the unprecedented act of bravery it takes to produce a live theatre piece at this dangerous juncture. Not easy, yet GALA has done it with care and caution under safe conditions and, remarkably, with a delightfully fresh comedy, a welcome antidote to our gloomy, lugubrious times.
3 ways to get your point across while wearing a mask – tips from an award-winning speech coach
Cheryl Chambers, Mississippi State University You wear your mask, keep six feet between yourself and others and are committed to safety. But the measures that help...
Read moreMichelle Obama's Profile in Courage
In these trying times with so much upheaval, where negative and tragic news seem to continually bombard us on so many levels, it was...
Read moreWas it a coup? No, but siege on US Capitol was the election violence of a fragile democracy
Clayton Besaw, University of Central Florida and Matthew Frank, University of Denver Did the United States just have a coup attempt? Supporters of President Donald Trump, following his encouragement, stormed the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, disrupting the certification of Joe...
January 7, 2021 by The Conversation
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With JPN Masonry & Otto Madrid The Sky's the Limit
He arrived in the United States on March 3rd, 2001 with a backpack full of dreams much like other Salvadoran immigrants. Until one day, four...
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Twitter posts show that people are profoundly sad – and are visiting parks to cheer up
Joe Roman, University of Vermont and Taylor Ricketts, University of Vermont The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is the deepest and longest period of malaise...
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Love avocados? Thank the toxodon
Jeffrey Miller, Colorado State University Leer en español. Given avocado’s popularity today, it’s hard to believe that we came close to not having them in our supermarkets at all. In my new book “Avocado: A Global History,” I explain how the avocado survived a series of ecological and cultural close calls that...
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jonetta rose barras: A government of redundancies
The DC Council Committee on Government Operations, chaired by Ward 4’s Brandon Todd, recently gave preliminary approval to the Racial Equity Achieves Real Change Amendment...
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