Saturday, April 2, 2022

Saturday Good Reads - April 2, 2022


Electronics in the classroom have been with us for at least a decade now. The pandemic expanded the influence of “ed tech,” with the even greater use of tablets and electronic classrooms. Brad East at Comment Magazine raises questions about this. Actually, it’s more than questions. We may building toward a huge educational disaster. 

The CEO of Disney found himself whipsawed in the culture wars this past week. Some employees threatened walkouts for Disney not opposing the Florida bill on teaching in kindergarten through second grade classrooms. The CEO dutifully issued a statement condemning the bill. Florida Gov. De Santis promptly called the CEO out for saying nothing about the plight of the Uigher Muslims in China (Mulan was filmed in the area). Disney doubled down. De Santis quadrupled down. Then someone leaked videos of a Disney employee meeting, where key people talked about how they had been using Disney shows and movies to push their agendas. Disney had no comment. And then came a public statement by a gay Disney employee: “Disney does not speak for me.” 

 

And I think, Disney?

 

More Good Reads

 

Writing and Literature

 

The Perils of Public Writing – Elizabeth Corey at National Affairs.

 

Conversations to the Tune of Air-Raid Sirens: Odesa Writers on Literature in Wartime – Ilya Kaminsky at The Paris Review.

 

What Killed Cultural Aspiration – Matthew Walther at The Lamp.

 

Everyone is the Hero of Their Own Story – Sarah Kades at CrimeReads.

 

The Party at Hart’s (as in Hart Crane) – Robert Clark at Image Journal.

 

Life and Culture

 

Invasion of the Fact-Checkers – Jacob Siegel at Tablet Magazine.

 

Spaces for Speech on Today’s College Campus – Elizabeth Stice at Front Porch Republic.

 

Going under with the overclass – James Panero at New Criterion.

 

Ensamples: on Chris Rock and Will Smith – Paul Hughes at Poet and Priest.

 

Actions Speak Louder than Words, or a Midwestern Accent – Glen Sharp at Front Porch Republic.

 

Poetry

 

Where Wonder Remain – Peggy Everett at Society of Classical Poets.

 

Etchings – Jerry Barrett at Gerald the Writer.

 

Poetry & digital personhood – Carmine Starnino at New Criterion.

 

Over a River Strangely Rosy: Reading Poetry in Wartime – Joan Neuberger at Los Angeles Review of Boks.

 

Faith

 

Understanding Common vs. Special Grace – Hugh Whelchel at the Institute for Faith, Work, & Economics.

 

Ukraine

 

The invasion of Ukraine has serious, unintended consequences for Russia. Here are just 5 of them – Holly Ellyat at CNBC.

 

Hard times, hard truths: We must see beyond the myths surrounding the Ukraine crisis – The Critic Magazine.

 

Ukraine war: Gruesome evidence points to war crimes on road outside Kyiv – Jeremy Bowen at BBC.

 

News Media

 

The Internet Killed Mainstream Culture – Rex Woodbury at Digital Native.

 

God is For Us – City Alight



 Painting: Reading by the shore, oil on canvas (ca. 1883-85) by Charles Sprague Pearce (1851-1914) 

1 comment:

Bill (cycleguy) said...

First, thanks for the link to the "Disney does not speak for me" article. It was a long read but well worth it. Second, I love CityAlight. Oh to see more of their music done in churches instead of the mere "I love Jesus/ Jesus loves me" fluff we often hear.