Tag Archives: English majors
Dr. Levitt
by cheri block Dr. Levitt: Hello, Cheri. Nice to see you. How long has it been? Cheri: About 25 years. I was 34 years old and anxious about random evil. Dr. Levitt: Oh yes. Let me briefly review your chart. … Continue reading
Savoring a Sentence
by cheri block Consider this sentence only. Let me give you some context before you do. Before I give you the context, how much time do you have? If you are stopping by for six seconds in hopes of being … Continue reading
And look what the California Teachers’ Association has wrought…
by cheri block In the March 31st edition of The Economist magazine, Andreas Kluth wrote a piece that warmed my heart. Warmed it like a blow torch. Although the subject of his article is education here in California,the problems the … Continue reading
A 14th Century Heroine: Alisoun of Bath
by cheri block After spending three weeks with Alisoun of Bath (and indirectly with her marvelous creator, Geoffrey Chaucer) I have a new heroine: the Wife of Bath of The Canterbury Tales. I love her. I love Chaucer too, for … Continue reading
Beowulf’s Kennings
Attention students: if you use any part of this essay, you must cite the source or you will be plagiarizing. You have permission to use part of my essay, provided you give appropriate credit. Thanks! by cheri block Until Seamus … Continue reading
aardvark, here
by cheri block When podcasts first became vogue new media, I began listening to Mignon Fogarty, aka Grammar Girl. I downloaded her podcasts from iTunes. Everything about her business endeavor was hot: five thousand or more hits a month on … Continue reading
Hamartia and Sophrosyne
by cheri block sabraw The Greek word sophrosyne was summarized in brief by the Oracle at Delphi in several succinct aphorisms: Nothing in Excess and Know Thyself. In other words, with moderation of all that pulls us away from the … Continue reading
Take it from Ladybug: A job may be more important than your SAT score.
My first “job” was a volunteer position with the City of Fremont in 1963. I was thirteen years old. My parents insisted that we get out of the house, stop watching TV, and do something for others. By the age … Continue reading
What is the Difference between a Puritan and a Pilgrim?
Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American author whose works I taught for over twenty years, wrote one of my favorite quotations about friendship. Mr. Emerson wrote, “ A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.“ This is a significant … Continue reading
