Author Archives: fustianist

Today I led a hearing for a student who plagiarized her work for my class.  I realized only later that I must have somehow seen the student’s actions as a threat to my person, as well as my work; when … Continue reading →

If you’re from a Russian Mennonite background, this should have you rolling on the floor. If you’re Swiss Mennonite, you’ll likely still find it funny. If neither, well, I have no idea. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SggmDSJSYs] Sydney

After a six-week slog through unhappiness, illness, and a whole lot of work, several wonderful events in my life: – By this point, I have my head back on straight enough to realize that I have had a lot of … Continue reading →

Too bad that this isn’t the door I get to use to go into the Bodleian:

On my oh-so-lengthy to-do list for February, I had “Do taxes.”  Ha!  I hardly even looked at them before the month ended.  But I settled in early this morning, started with Line 1, and finished state and federal off by … Continue reading →

Earlier this week I decided I needed a break from the libraries, so I walked around in Oxford’s botanic garden. Naturally, there would be more to see there later in the year, but there were some interesting things now as … Continue reading →

I was just getting ready to go to bed when the house started shaking and creaking. Not really seriously or anything but definitely quite noticeable. Word has it that other houses in town were also shaking. Earthquake? I wouldn’t have … Continue reading →

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/education/27history.html *Note: I’m not saying this from on-high.  I admit to not knowing who or what the German Kaiser was, and had to look it up.  I may, though, need to rethink the way I teach Southern literature if some … Continue reading →

Yup, that’s what I’ll be shoveling in tomorrow.  I walked to the general store in my snow boots today, enjoying the fact that I had a lot more traction than anything on the road except the snow plows.  It’s wonderful … Continue reading →

Over the past week or so I’ve developed a tricky throat.  It has been really dry and lately got a little sore, and then, by today, it just kind of quit.  Every other word was audible.  Now I know what … Continue reading →