Steven Harper's Blog, page 55
May 5, 2019
Mythology
My freshmen really enjoyed THE ODYSSEY this year. It was great fun showing it to them. They're even showing enthusiasm for the Greek god research project! Go them!
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April 15, 2019
Smoke and Mirrors
I've posted a "new" short story over at Curious Fictions. "Smoke and Mirrors" first appeared in TURN THE OTHER CHICK, the fifth of Esther Friesner's CHICKS IN CHAINMAIL anthologies. Go see! And subscribe, if you've a mind.
https://curiousfictions.com/authors/560-steven-harper
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April 13, 2019
Oh, the Senioritis
We're in annual senioritis season. Once they return from spring break, so many seniors feel like they're done, and way more of them than usual blow off their schoolwork. Grades drop, and I end up holding students after class, contacting parents, and emailing the counseling department. I keep a record of these interactions just in case the parents of a failing senior tries to claim I "didn't do enough" to help the kid graduate. Yeah, it's happened.
But my freshmen are still there, still on task. We've just started THE ODYSSEY, and they're liking it quite a lot!
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But my freshmen are still there, still on task. We've just started THE ODYSSEY, and they're liking it quite a lot!
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April 9, 2019
Teaching Controversial Pronouns
Yesterday I taught my freshmen a lesson in pronouns. Students rarely respond well to learning grammar. They don't see it as relevant, even though they use grammar every day. So I always tell them =why= we learn about a particular concept.
Anyway, pronouns. I went through the cases of personal pronouns, and then we got to third person (he, she, it, they). The following is a loose transcript of that section of the lesson:
STUDENT 1: What's non-binary?
ME: It's someone who doesn't identify as one particular gender.
STUDENT 2: I heard they're saying there's something like 400 different genders.
(general babble of discussion among class)
ME: I don't think anyone is saying there are that many, though as a society, we're expanding our definition of gender to include more concepts of it that just the three.
STUDENT 3: Three? I thought there were only two.
ME: "It" is a gender--neuter. Though it's rude to call a person an "it," of course. So the question remains: what pronoun do we use with someone who is trans?
(general babble of discussion among class)
(I let the discussion run its course a bit so they could have their say among themselves and so I could hear what they were thinking and saying. Eventually, I retook the stage.)
ME: The evolving etiquette is that you use whatever pronoun the person prefers. If you're not sure, you can ask. Usually, though, a trans person will tell you what the preferred pronoun is up front. It's also okay if you slip and use the wrong one and say, "Sorry! I got it wrong." It happens, and most people understand that.
(more general babble, I listened)
ME: Bring up here, now. I heard a few people use the words "disgusting" and "gross." I also heard someone say, "I won't use a different pronoun." I want to address that. Ask yourself what it costs you or how it harms you to use the word someone else has asked you to use. Does it harm you in any way to say "they" instead of "she", for example? Of course not. Using the person's preferred pronoun is both polite and kind. Using the wrong one is rude and mean, and makes the other person feel bad. You have to ask yourself what kind of person you want to be: a kind one, or a cruel one.
STUDENT 4: What if your religion says you have to use a pronoun?
ME: I'm not aware of any religion that covers pronoun use in its sacred writings, so I don't think you have to worry about that. If you can find a verse that addresses it, let me know.
STUDENT 4: But what if it does?
OTHER STUDENTS: Really? Geez, [student name]. Who cares?
ME: If your religion requires you to be cruel, maybe you need to think hard about your religion.
(more babble)
ME: And you all thought pronouns were dull and unimportant!
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Anyway, pronouns. I went through the cases of personal pronouns, and then we got to third person (he, she, it, they). The following is a loose transcript of that section of the lesson:
ME: English has a problem no one's been able to solve. We don't have a good gender-neutral pronoun. We often use "they," even when it doesn't fit, as in,"If someone knocks on my door, I'll slam it in their face." We shouldn't use "they," since "they" refers to more than one person, and "someone" is one person. We used to use "he" in these cases, but a few decades ago, we decided that was sexist, but couldn't settle on anything except the really clunky "he or she" while still saying "they" is incorrect. This problem has plagued English for centuries.
We also have another problem with pronouns. The new visibility of transgender people has made this into a public discussion. The problem is, what pronoun do you use for someone who identifies as transgender or queer or otherwise non-binary?STUDENT 1: What's non-binary?
ME: It's someone who doesn't identify as one particular gender.
STUDENT 2: I heard they're saying there's something like 400 different genders.
(general babble of discussion among class)
ME: I don't think anyone is saying there are that many, though as a society, we're expanding our definition of gender to include more concepts of it that just the three.
STUDENT 3: Three? I thought there were only two.
ME: "It" is a gender--neuter. Though it's rude to call a person an "it," of course. So the question remains: what pronoun do we use with someone who is trans?
(general babble of discussion among class)
(I let the discussion run its course a bit so they could have their say among themselves and so I could hear what they were thinking and saying. Eventually, I retook the stage.)
ME: The evolving etiquette is that you use whatever pronoun the person prefers. If you're not sure, you can ask. Usually, though, a trans person will tell you what the preferred pronoun is up front. It's also okay if you slip and use the wrong one and say, "Sorry! I got it wrong." It happens, and most people understand that.
(more general babble, I listened)
ME: Bring up here, now. I heard a few people use the words "disgusting" and "gross." I also heard someone say, "I won't use a different pronoun." I want to address that. Ask yourself what it costs you or how it harms you to use the word someone else has asked you to use. Does it harm you in any way to say "they" instead of "she", for example? Of course not. Using the person's preferred pronoun is both polite and kind. Using the wrong one is rude and mean, and makes the other person feel bad. You have to ask yourself what kind of person you want to be: a kind one, or a cruel one.
STUDENT 4: What if your religion says you have to use a pronoun?
ME: I'm not aware of any religion that covers pronoun use in its sacred writings, so I don't think you have to worry about that. If you can find a verse that addresses it, let me know.
STUDENT 4: But what if it does?
OTHER STUDENTS: Really? Geez, [student name]. Who cares?
ME: If your religion requires you to be cruel, maybe you need to think hard about your religion.
(more babble)
ME: And you all thought pronouns were dull and unimportant!
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April 7, 2019
Spring Break 2019
Usually we can't go anywhere during spring break because of Darwin's work schedule. Early April is always budget season, and he simply can't take a week off. So spring break is a home thing.
This year, Darwin doesn't have to worry about the city budget, but he's between jobs, so we shouldn't spend the money to go anywhere. Sigh. I'll never get an away spring break at this rate.
Also usually, the weather in Michigan over spring break is awful. This year was no exception--relentless winter cold and precipitation. Indoor weather. I spent the first part of the week spiffying up a proposal (synopsis and sample chapters) for a new novel, but that was done by Tuesday. So I did a lot of sleeping in, organizing closets and drawers, and going to movies.
Saturday, the weather actually cleared up and climbed into the 60 (just in time for break to end). I went on a 10-mile bike ride, which was very nice, and I'll probably go on another today.
The neighbors have been out all week with their leaf blowers and even lawn mowers. (What the hell are they mowing, I have to ask? The grass is still brown.) We're waiting to clear the lawn until we're sure there'll be no more snow.
And tomorrow we're back to school for SAT test week!
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This year, Darwin doesn't have to worry about the city budget, but he's between jobs, so we shouldn't spend the money to go anywhere. Sigh. I'll never get an away spring break at this rate.
Also usually, the weather in Michigan over spring break is awful. This year was no exception--relentless winter cold and precipitation. Indoor weather. I spent the first part of the week spiffying up a proposal (synopsis and sample chapters) for a new novel, but that was done by Tuesday. So I did a lot of sleeping in, organizing closets and drawers, and going to movies.
Saturday, the weather actually cleared up and climbed into the 60 (just in time for break to end). I went on a 10-mile bike ride, which was very nice, and I'll probably go on another today.
The neighbors have been out all week with their leaf blowers and even lawn mowers. (What the hell are they mowing, I have to ask? The grass is still brown.) We're waiting to clear the lawn until we're sure there'll be no more snow.
And tomorrow we're back to school for SAT test week!
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So Many Democrats. Good.
The huge number of Democrats running for the primary is happening because Democrats know that anyone who runs against Trump will probably win, and that this is any given Democrat's biggest, easiest chance to win the White House. The large number of candidates is not a sign of fragmentation within the Democratic party. It's a sign of Trump's weakness--the current President doesn't have the power to stand up against even the weakest Democratic opponent.
A dozen-odd people running for the Democratic nomination is a good thing--the party has many candidates and many points of view to choose from. Eventually, the candidates will be whittled down to one, and the party will unite behind him or her and PUSH. The pundits who write about the "fracturing" of the Democratic party are either foolish and uninformed, or are writing articles trying to instill anger or fear, which generates clicks. The primary process is moving along nicely, thanks, and it's steamrolling toward Trump.
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A dozen-odd people running for the Democratic nomination is a good thing--the party has many candidates and many points of view to choose from. Eventually, the candidates will be whittled down to one, and the party will unite behind him or her and PUSH. The pundits who write about the "fracturing" of the Democratic party are either foolish and uninformed, or are writing articles trying to instill anger or fear, which generates clicks. The primary process is moving along nicely, thanks, and it's steamrolling toward Trump.
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April 1, 2019
Bedlam
I've posted my weekly story at Curious Fictions. I wrote "Bedlam" about 20 years ago for ELECTRIC WINE, one of the first on-line magazines. Sadly, WINE is now defunct, but you can still read this story! https://curiousfictions.com/authors/560-steven-harper
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March 28, 2019
The Yogurt Master
I have totally mastered yogurt. You may bow before me.
It's the Instant Pot for the win, of course. A couple weeks ago, I researched a bunch of yogurt recipes and compiled them into One Recipe to Rule Them All. Yogurt is easy to make when you have a little cooker that will control the temperature to half a degree! Yogurt basically goes like this:
--scald a bunch of milk
--let it cool
--whisk in some existing yogurt (for the culture)
--let it sit a very low cooking temperature for eight hours
--cool it
--strain it
But some experimentation has taught me a few other tricks.
--There's no difference in taste or texture between 1% and 2% milk, so we may as well stick with 1% to save a few fat grams.
--Since it takes about ten hours to make yogurt in an Instant Pot, it's best to do the initial scalding and cooling close to bed time, then let the milk yogurtize overnight in the Instant Pot. In the morning, just dump it into a sealed container and fridge it until you get home from work.
--I can do huge batches of yogurt. At first, the main bottleneck was straining because I was using my wire strainer and a single coffee filter, which won't hold much yogurt. Then I hit on lining a colander with a bunch of coffee filters and standing it in my big mixing bowl. That lets me do most of a gallon all at once!
--Straining works best in the refrigerator. The resulting yogurt is thicker and creamier.
--The strained yogurt has almost the consistency of sour cream or even soft ice cream.
--Adding a drop of vanilla, some artificial sweetener, and a sprinkling of fruit creates a fantastic bit of culinary delight with low fat and few carbs. Darwin loves it.
--When I have some for breakfast, I'm not starving by lunch time. Big plus!
My next project is to put some into my ice cream maker. I want to see what happens!
comments
It's the Instant Pot for the win, of course. A couple weeks ago, I researched a bunch of yogurt recipes and compiled them into One Recipe to Rule Them All. Yogurt is easy to make when you have a little cooker that will control the temperature to half a degree! Yogurt basically goes like this:
--scald a bunch of milk
--let it cool
--whisk in some existing yogurt (for the culture)
--let it sit a very low cooking temperature for eight hours
--cool it
--strain it
But some experimentation has taught me a few other tricks.
--There's no difference in taste or texture between 1% and 2% milk, so we may as well stick with 1% to save a few fat grams.
--Since it takes about ten hours to make yogurt in an Instant Pot, it's best to do the initial scalding and cooling close to bed time, then let the milk yogurtize overnight in the Instant Pot. In the morning, just dump it into a sealed container and fridge it until you get home from work.
--I can do huge batches of yogurt. At first, the main bottleneck was straining because I was using my wire strainer and a single coffee filter, which won't hold much yogurt. Then I hit on lining a colander with a bunch of coffee filters and standing it in my big mixing bowl. That lets me do most of a gallon all at once!
--Straining works best in the refrigerator. The resulting yogurt is thicker and creamier.
--The strained yogurt has almost the consistency of sour cream or even soft ice cream.
--Adding a drop of vanilla, some artificial sweetener, and a sprinkling of fruit creates a fantastic bit of culinary delight with low fat and few carbs. Darwin loves it.
--When I have some for breakfast, I'm not starving by lunch time. Big plus!
My next project is to put some into my ice cream maker. I want to see what happens!
comments
March 24, 2019
The Soul Jar
I've posted my weekly story at Curious Fictions. Go see! https://curiousfictions.com/authors/560-steven-harper
Last week, I posted "Thin Man," a dark fantasy set in Victorian London about a climbing boy named Dodd. Decades later, I was invited to submit a story to THE SHADOW CONSPIRACY steampunk anthology, and it occurred to me that Dodd's story wasn't finished yet. So I wrote "The Soul Jar." Out of all my short stories, this one is my favorite. See if you agree.
THE SHADOW CONSPIRACY is still in print at Book View Cafe: https://bookviewcafe.com/bookstore/book/the-shadow-conspiracy/
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Last week, I posted "Thin Man," a dark fantasy set in Victorian London about a climbing boy named Dodd. Decades later, I was invited to submit a story to THE SHADOW CONSPIRACY steampunk anthology, and it occurred to me that Dodd's story wasn't finished yet. So I wrote "The Soul Jar." Out of all my short stories, this one is my favorite. See if you agree.
THE SHADOW CONSPIRACY is still in print at Book View Cafe: https://bookviewcafe.com/bookstore/book/the-shadow-conspiracy/
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March 23, 2019
Such a Day!
Yesterday I taught in the morning, endured staff development in the afternoon, drove home, went for a long run, took my husband to supper, set up a BVC Membership Meeting on Skype, sent the grocery list to the store, and put the final touches on Saturday's gaming session. Oi!
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