Category Archives: Ideas and Opinions

Grad School: An Interview with Brenda Nicole Shelton

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Ed Battistella

A 2015 graduate of Southern Oregon University, Brenda Nicole Shelton completed a Masters of Library and Information Science University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017. She works at the Beaverton City Library. Ed Battistella: What did your graduate studies involve? Brenda Nicole … Continue reading →

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Grad School: An Interview with Allegra Lance

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Ed Battistella

Allegra Lance is a writer and editor from the pacific northwest who regularly moonlights as a writing teacher and burrito connoisseur. In her free time, Allegra practices circus arts and dabbles in game design. She can be contacted by chanting … Continue reading →

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An Interview with Joe Biel of Microcosm Publishing

Posted on November 22, 2017 by Ed Battistella

Ed Battistella: How did Microcosm Publishing come about? Joe Biel: ​I grew up in Cleveland​ during the bankruptcy and recession​ in the 70s and 80s. ​My upbringing was abusive, I was uneducated, and I had autism that wasn’t diagnosed until … Continue reading →

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An Interview with John McWhorter, author of Talking Back, Talking Black

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Ed Battistella

John McWhorter teaches linguistics, Western civilization, music history, and American studies at Columbia University. A New York Times best-selling author and TED speaker, he is a columnist for Time and regular contributor to the Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, and Washington … Continue reading →

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My Dinner with Harlan

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Ed Battistella

When I was in high school two of my favorite books were Harlan Ellison’s The Glass Teat: Essays of Opinion on Television and The Other Glass Teat. They were feisty books of cultural criticism based on Ellison’s weekly column for … Continue reading →

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What People Are Reading This Summer

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Ed Battistella

It’s almost summer and graduating students get a little time to finally read what they want, professors have an opportunity to read things they do not have to grade, and even professional writers get some summer reading in the extra … Continue reading →

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An Interview with Sandra Scofield

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Ed Battistella

Sandra Scofield is the author of seven novels, including Beyond Deserving, a finalist for the National Book Award, and A Chance to See Egypt, winner of a Best Fiction Prize from the Texas Institute of Letters. She has written a … Continue reading →

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An Interview with Michael Copperman, author of Teacher: Two Years in the Mississippi Delta

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Allie Sipe

From 2002 to 2004, Michael Copperman taught fourth grade in the Mississippi Delta through Teach For America. Today, he teaches writing to students from diverse backgrounds—primarily low-income and first-generation college students—at the University of Oregon. Michael also frontlines The Oregon … Continue reading →

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An Interview with Allison Brennan, a guest post by Kelly Brennan

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Ed Battistella

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Allison Brennan believes life’s too short to be bored, so she had five kids and writes three books a year. She’s currently writing two series–the Lucy Kincaid thriller series about an FBI … Continue reading →

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In Defense of Valley Girl English, a guest post by Reilly Nycum

Posted on April 19, 2017 by Ed Battistella

Reilly Nycum is an English and History double major in the Honors College at SOU. In Defense of Valley Girl English: I’m, like, so totally gonna ace this paper. When one hears Valley girl English, the eyerolls almost become audible. … Continue reading →

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