June 10, 2008
Nick and Susan Stepaniak's Wedding Recap (Discourse Chronicle)
[Nick Stepaniak (my best friend of 15 years) married his long-time girlfriend and fiancee Susan MacLaughlin last weekend in Dallas, TX. Elizabeth and I attended their wedding with close friends Ted and Trina Weiland. I believe it was the best weekend of my life (so far). Here is a recap:
Day 1
I developed an appreciation for airport park and ride services.
We rented a Chevrolet HHR with Hertz for the first time.
I met a fellow Aggie (Texas A&M University student or graduate) for the first time.
All of us caught up with Nick and Susan at their infamous house located at the intersection of Bond St. and Lois Lane.
Day 2
We took full advantage of La Quinta Inn's complete complimentary breakfast
All of us spent the morning at the Dallas Museum of Art
All of us witnessed a small yet intimate Christian ceremony at the Dallas Arboretum
We reminisced with Nick's parents about how I contributed to his conversion from the sciences to the humanities in college.
Despite many memorable moments being shared above, what made last weekend the best was all of our conversations happening throughout, especially while "geeking out". Choice moments allowed for a seemingly endless supply of movie references and lines to enhance whatever situation all of us found ourselves in, whether stuck in traffic ("Use bumper! That's what it's for!") or looking at a priceless gold chalice ("Choose wisely"). BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 10:16 AM | Comments (3)
May 23, 2008
End of the Semester - Spring 2008 (Discourse Chronicle)
[Theme: Princes of the Universe (Queen). As I write my ritual semester review blog entry, I realized that I am now officially a second-year PhD student, which I could not be happier about looking forward to another year of teaching and coursework. I know humanities PhD students anticipate being free from coursework once ABD status is awarded, but I find coursework helpful as a safe testing ground for new ideas, such as my current explorations with composition and video games. I also find working as a teaching assistant helpful for experimenting with teaching styles, lessons, and materials. I know I adopted a completely new teaching style this year and stopped relying on detailed lesson plans. I believe my students respond better when we talk about seemingly random writing topics on any given day.
I am currently working on a number of research-related projects, including abstracts for upcoming conferences in the next year, but also book reviews for academic journals. However, I still take time out for myself, playing video games and catching up on my comic book reading. I still believe the best part about having research interests in popular culture is knowing that my hobbies become my career. I am most thankful about being in an encouraging environment at BGSU with more professors and colleagues who want to help me improve and realize my potential. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 11:53 AM | Comments (0)
May 19, 2008
Acceptance [Thomas R. Watson Conference 2008] (Discourse Chronicle)
We are very pleased to accept your proposal for the 2008 Thomas R. Watson Conference. We were overwhelmed with the responses to this year's topic--both in terms of the quantity of submissions and the quality of the work proposed. Clearly the topic resonates with the work we are now doing as composition teachers.
Posted by kuechebj at 10:05 AM | Comments (2)
May 04, 2008
Gaming helps students hone 21st-century skills (eSchool News)
Studies of the brain have pointed to data suggesting that repeated exposure to video games reinforces the ability to create mental maps, inductive discovery such as formulating hypotheses, and the ability to focus on several things at once and respond faster to unexpected stimuli. -Laura Devaney
[From Elizabeth. The article focuses on possibilities with Second Life in a classroom.]
Posted by kuechebj at 12:35 PM | Comments (0)
April 15, 2008
4 C's 2008 Recap (Discourse Chronicle)
[Here is a recap with lessons learned from when Elizabeth and I attended the C's with four other colleagues:
Day 0
People with a controlling personality often hurt other people's feelings without thinking about it.
Driving through stormy weather adds stress to fatigue.
Planning solves many problems, but cannot account for everything, such as being delayed by Interstate accidents.
Day 1
Adjusting to weather down south is more difficult for some than others.
People with a controlling personality make bad team players.
I caught up with Dr. Jan Swearingen (a graduate mentor of mine) at a Hayden-McNeil publisher party.
Day 2
I met Dr. Cynthia Selfe at a newcomer's breakfast and we talked about my current research on Second Life, which led to a request for a copy of a paper I am revising about avatar creation, and encouraged submission to the academic journal Computers and Composition.
I requested many examination copies from publishers that the "Book Fairy" will leave for me later.
I missed many interesting panels due to grading student papers and working on my own seminar papers.
Day 3
I listened to presentations about Second Life in the composition classroom and understandably noticed minimal attention being given to theory and application.
Elizabeth and I caught up with Dr. Dennis G. Jerz (an undergrad mentor of mine) and we snapped a picture of us in front of Preservation Hall to send to our mutual friend Dr. Joel Pace (another undergrad mentor of mine).
After spending a total of 30 hours in a van on a road trip with five other personalities, I admit the trip is definitely a learning experience, but with all due respect toward my colleagues - I prefer traveling with Elizabeth or alone. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 10:46 AM | Comments (3)
April 07, 2008
Acceptance [International Journal of Comic Art] (Discourse Chronicle)
[Today I received my copy of the Internaional Journal of Comic Art (Vol. 10, No. 1, Spring 2008) which contains my exhibit review of The Golden Age of American Political Cartooning at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont, OH! BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 10:11 AM | Comments (0)
March 30, 2008
4 C's 2008 (Discourse Chronicle)
[No blog this week. I am attending the C's conference as a workshop techie with some colleagues in New Orleans. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 11:12 PM | Comments (2)
March 28, 2008
Three Writers are Drawn by the Allure of Comics (NPR)
As comic books — or, in more highbrow parlance, graphic novelizations — nudge their way onto the shelves of bookstores and the pages of literary magazines, some well-known writers are trying their hand at the genre. Pop-culture icon Joss Whedon, best-selling novelist Jodi Picoult and rapper Percy Carey are among those feeling the lure of comics. -John Ridley
[From Elizabeth. Comics and graphic novels transition easily from page to screen using storyboards, but a storyboard is different from a comic panel, which Scott McCloud explains in Understanding Comics and Making Comics. I remember strongly disagreeing with associating comics and film in a portfolio paper for my MA degree, but Mark C. Rogers presented a similar argument at last year's National PCA with "Wile E. Coyote Still Died for Your Sins: Intertextuality and Continuity in Sandman and Animal Man". BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 03:12 PM | Comments (0)
March 25, 2008
National PCA 2008 Recap (Discourse Chronicle)
[Elizabeth and I returned from presenting in San Francisco on Saturday. Both of us presented well and I am always pleased with how National PCA keeps getting better every year as I celebrate my fifth consecutive year presenting at that conference. Here is a recap about our trip:
Day 0
Our friends David McClure and Suzan Aiken provided a ride to the airport despite learning about us flying out of Cleveland two days beforehand
Continental Airlines kindly served a small breakfast with cereal, milk, and fresh fruit along with a snack
Day 1
Elizabeth and I caught up with my comic scholar colleagues Area Chair Nicole Freim, her husband Jason Tondro, and Amy Nyberg at dinner
I attended and supported fellow BGSU PhD student Jeff Geers as he panel chaired for the first time
I caught up with other comic scholar colleagues such as Gene Kannenberg, Jr. and his wife K.A. Laity (author of Jane Quiet)
Day 4
Elizabeth and I attended each other's presentations and believe we did well
My keyring with laminated sheets using "15 min.," "10 min.," "5 min.," and a giant "STOP" sign received good praise as a timekeeping device
I briefly caught up with Rey Valdez, a PhD student colleague from Texas A&M, who presented on Saturday
I caught up with John Shelton Lawrence and he asked me to comment on an article he is submitting to a magazine about comics
I also caught up with Erica Benson, an English professor from UW-Eau Claire, who knows Patrick Day (a professor-mentor of mine from undergraduate work)
I won "The Korvie" from The Institute for Korvac Studies (a parody panel poking fun at academia and comic scholarship by comic scholars)
One conference down and one more to go. Elizabeth and some of our colleagues are presenting at the 4 C's conference and facilitating a half-day workshop for college writing programs next week. I am going with them as moral and tech support since videotaping is involved with the workshop. I look forward to it because the 4 C's is a major conference in the field of Rhetoric and Composition and being there will also give me a chance to catch up with professor-mentors I have not seen in years such as Dennis G. Jerz. I do remember, though, that techies dress in black! BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 08:51 PM | Comments (0)
March 18, 2008
National PCA 2008 (Discourse Chronicle)
[No blog this week. I am presenting "Community, Rhetoric, and Poetics in Superman: Birthright" at the National Popular Culture Association conference. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 02:55 AM | Comments (0)