The Strengths of Sampson
First appeared in Illinois Alumni magazine in January 2008 under Profiles
The first time Henry T. Sampson Jr., MS ‘65 ENG, PHD ‘67 ENG, lost himself in the microfiche room of the UCLA library, it was to blunt the trauma of his recent divorce. Little did he know that out of that misery would emerge his “passionate obsession,” a decades-long quest...
Rethinking an Axiom
First appeared in Arts & Sciences newsletter of Washington University in St. Louis in December 2007 under Profiles
Physics professor Carl Bender embodies that good old Missouri saying, “show me.” His knack for questioning things often taken for granted has led to exciting results. Quantum physics is formulated in terms of a set of axioms that are physical and have an experimental basis. All axioms, it turns out,...
No-Vacation Nation
First appeared in Perspectives in December 2007 under Features
It is no secret that Americans work more hours and have fewer paid vacations than any other developed country. For example, while European Union nations have a legally mandated two-week vacation policy and most workers get far more, the United States has no laws requiring paid vacation. Typically, employees have...
Jonathan Kozol: Bearing Witness
First appeared in NCTE Council Chronicle in November 2007 under Features
As a young teacher in the 1960s, all Jonathan Kozol wanted to do was to share his passion for great literature with his students. So he read them poems. He read poems by William Butler Yeats, and he read poems by Robert Frost. The principal applauded him. But then Kozol...
Chris Crutcher’s Stories Resonate with Young Readers
First appeared in NCTE Council Chronicle in September 2007 under Features
Nothing much surprises Chris Crutcher, author of numerous young adult novels, including Ironman, Whale Talk, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, and Stotan!. Having worked extensively as a therapist for those experiencing child abuse and neglect, Crutcher has seen the dark underbelly of life. “Working in the field of child abuse...
The Tao of Fu
First appeared in Illinois Alumni magazine in July 2007 under Features
In the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism, followers strive to bring harmony to the universe through the balance of opposites. So too has Ping Fu, MS ‘90 ENG, carefully negotiated a balancing act in the course of her life. Moving from the violence of China’s Cultural Revolution to the positivity...