A fairly engaging exegesis of the relationship between academia and business circa the turn of the century. Though it comes off as a bit dated now, itA fairly engaging exegesis of the relationship between academia and business circa the turn of the century. Though it comes off as a bit dated now, it remains relevant as academia continues to be inundated with any number of possibilities with private business and interests; discussions range from private and state institutions utilizing partnerships with for-profit entities, through online classes or industry partnerships to certification programs and for-profit universities ... to broader discussions of what it means to "market" a university and how universities gain "market advantages." Many books that deal with this topic monolithically repudiate any positive connections between academia and industry, painting with a broad brush any possibility of collaboration as tainting the research and teaching missions of a university. The author suggests a more nuanced perspective, citing cases where a university positioning itself in the marketplace need not necessarily be antithetical to quality learning and research.
The reader gets to learn about some really interesting programs; one that caught my eye was the online programs in an association of Southern liberal arts colleges that taught classics to a wide variety of students.
I think there many other books which work to update many of the conclusions found in earlier volume. But it's still a very good book!...more
Covers many of the hangups and neuroses we have as a society over cultural appropriation, ownership, privilege, and who gets to tell what stories. I tCovers many of the hangups and neuroses we have as a society over cultural appropriation, ownership, privilege, and who gets to tell what stories. I thought the conceit of this fast-read page-turning novel was excellent: two writer friends who came of literary age at Yale together, Athena Liu deemed a superstar by the literary world, the other (June Hayward, who is white) something of a bit player who hasn't landed the big contracts that Athena has. While celebrating some large streaming deal, Athena dies in a freak accident, and June decides to steal Athena's draft of The Last Front, incorporate some passages of her own, and shop the "co-written" manuscript around as her own.
June is a singularly unlikeable character - petty, lacking true empathy towards the more successful friend, and primarily interested in her own success. Athena (despite showing up only for the first chapter, because, well, she dies early on) is painted in broad somewhat unbelievable strokes as well. But what makes Yellowface interesting is not that the characters are built in a too satirical way; arguably, their simplicity allows us to read the book as somewhat fabulist, and through this fable, we learn much about the tribulations and pitfalls of the contemporary post-truth world: a rampant social media where everyone is ragging on everyone else to score trauma sympathy points, where lies can be spread rampantly, where virtue signaling trumps the search for truth in 140 characters or less, and where everyone is afraid of being "cancelled."
June at the advisement of her publisher takes on the vaguely Asian sounding name Juniper Song when "her" book gets published, and indeed it gets all the accolades, sales, and publicity that she has desired. But eventually rumors swirl that the book is really Athena's, and June will do anything to keep the origins of the novel a secret.
Ultimately Yellowface is a clever read that touches upon sensitivities of today's socio-political cultural climate. One star is withheld simply because I don't think the novel rises to the level of sophistication or enlightenment I'd want. Also, part of me thinks the author is playing mind games with the reader, as if the author doesn't have a particular stake in sharing thoughts about cultural appropriation. As alluded to in the novel, the real world doesn't care about twitter flame wars in the literary world; and perhaps the same idea might be extended to the reception of Yellowface itself.
One other funny last point: whenever quotes from The Last Front are shared, I saw evidence that it was a much more deficient book than was portrayed! And, the pieces of evidence that June argues resulted in unfair, overly sensitive critiques of cultural appropriation, I felt that they were obvious examples of appropriation! Again, I think this is Kuang's way of having some satirical fun with reader....more
Really enjoyed this overview of the history of the "Great Books" program from the 1950s onward. The most interesting material is actually the discussiReally enjoyed this overview of the history of the "Great Books" program from the 1950s onward. The most interesting material is actually the discussion of the relationships between Robert Hutchins and Mortimer Adler, and how the University of Chicago played a role in the development of the program. The book resonates in today's age, particular as we continue to display anxieties about canonization, knowledge, cultural literacy, and who gets to be included in a collection that purports to represent the great ideas of human knowledge....more
A fairly clever book with a fairly clever conceit, perhaps too clever.
A professor, Abigail, about to be denied tenure, is about to give a community leA fairly clever book with a fairly clever conceit, perhaps too clever.
A professor, Abigail, about to be denied tenure, is about to give a community lecture on the role of John Maynard Keynes; rather than focusing on more academic or obtuse theories, the lecture is to focus on the practical and humanistic applications of his theories. The book takes place over the duration of one sleepless night, wherein Abigail imagines getting advice from Keynes in something akin to a feverish dream or alternate reality.
Some fuss is made of her decision to publish an academic book of a personalized nature rather than a more traditional academic tome (this, according to Abigail, is what leads to her denial of tenure). But her reading or spelling out of the content of the lecture is much too tedious (I would simply rather read a book about Keynes ...) and her reflections of her earlier parts of her life (view spoiler)[- how she met her husband Ed, how they "accidentally" had their daughter Ali, some rumination on a high school prom date whom she visits later in college and comes to a realization that she had treated him unfairly - (hide spoiler)] are related in a much too clear or clean a manner.
There are times when the writing reads like stream of consciousness, not necessarily to the effect of pushing the narrative along.
The ending of the book had some touching moments as we witness the world through the eyes of Abigail.
In short I appreciate the execution of the book, but would have preferred that it be executed more tightly....more
This murder mystery thriller set in Cambridge University, England is a real page turner; members of a secretive society of selected students of a GreeThis murder mystery thriller set in Cambridge University, England is a real page turner; members of a secretive society of selected students of a Greek tragedy class are murdered one by one and the professor is seen by the main character, the aunt of one of the "Maidens" as the key suspect.
I appreciate the mood, setting, and atmosphere of what contemporary readers and critics call "dark academia." Our obsession with Gothic or neo-Gothic portrayals of university life have its roots in earlier models, even prior to Harry Potter or The Secret History. Here, I do think that the writing sometimes comes off as too obvious, in that the reader (view spoiler)[is led to believe too obviously that Professor Fosca will end up as the murderer (hide spoiler)]. It's also somewhat implausible that a psychotherapist would be given such free access to the closest confidantes of the murdered suspects and that her psychotherapy skillset would directly translate as a police detective skillset.
I was excited to read it, but perhaps the novel as a whole is a bit overhyped....more
An ethnographic account of the rise of digital media among young people as seen from the perspective of the late 2000s. MySpace? Compuserve? Aol? It'sAn ethnographic account of the rise of digital media among young people as seen from the perspective of the late 2000s. MySpace? Compuserve? Aol? It's a veritable history of early days of social media. Many quaint statements about how kids can now multitask and check their facebook statuses and do homework at the same time!
I would have preferred a more theoretical / introspective account of this (what is now) an early history of digital life in the early 21st century. Sometimes the account veers more into hearsay, or focused on one story, without theoretical substantiation to frame the evidence.
The most interesting thesis I read here was the MySpace was the domain of kids in a more challenged socioeconomic environment, whereas Facebook was used by those more privileged (read, also, white). Also, it's good that Prof. Watkins elaborates the nuances of social / digital life beyond the simplistic "real life = good /// digital, virtual life = bad" thesis to demonstrate how digital life has changed society.
Of course, having been published in 2009, the book downplays the rise of mis/disinformation that we're more accustomed to reading about in the current day....more
Story of a troubled marriage on the rocks with dire consequences reads too melodramatically for me. The setup is intriguing - the wife (Irene) realizeStory of a troubled marriage on the rocks with dire consequences reads too melodramatically for me. The setup is intriguing - the wife (Irene) realizes that her husband has been looking through her diary, so she decides upon writing two diaries - the red, that she knows he'll reads, and the other (the blue notebook) which contains the actual truth. We (as readers, or at least myself) start questioning whether the red diary actually itself dependable or not.
The work is written in a sparse, disquieting yet emotionally wrought style. I appreciate Erdrich's precise language, focusing on the smallest of details - a look, a touch, a sound. The husband (Gil) is a difficult one - self-absorbed, a terrible communicator, essentially using the wife either as a muse (she models for his paintings) or as an emotional beanbag. Whiffs of, and the reality of, domestic violence carry on through the book.
I would also have liked to learn more of Irene's interaction with her primary and secondary sources as she writes her dissertation on a 19th-century painter who depicts Native American subjects. There's supposed to be some relationship between this historical painter and Gil, and the way they treat their subjects, but I would have liked to see that explored more. Instead, we see her merely as an alcoholic who seems to have some writers' block (likely brought upon by her alcoholism) - this portrayal seems to simplistic to me.
Reading this sometimes reminds me of Katie Kitamura's A Separation, another disquieting, sparsely written novel about a difficult marriage.
Erdrich is a key writer of our times, and this work is a worthy addition to her overall oeuvre. If you're new to her work, though, start with the more canonic ones, like The Bingo Palace or Love Medicine....more
A delightful set of 3 novellas (vaguely interlinked) blending academic satire and Poe-ish horror and supernatural. Hynes' delightfully verbose yet desA delightful set of 3 novellas (vaguely interlinked) blending academic satire and Poe-ish horror and supernatural. Hynes' delightfully verbose yet descriptive prose adds much atmosphere to each of the stories. In particular he has a good knack of what it's like to be in the midst of the academic upheavals of the 90s when gender studies and postmodernism had taken off. The characters, particularly the secondary figures, come off a like caricatures of academics, but this works to the benefit of the plot and purported style of the writing. One could quibble about some aspects of the plot development, e.g. in the last novella the climactic scene (view spoiler)[(involving a switcharoo of one page from a manuscript for another) (hide spoiler)] tends to wrap up too implausibly.
Really enjoyed the cat character in the first novella - she plays such a crucial role in that one!...more
A fairly fun (if at times galling, annoying, and frustrating!) read about a set of friends whose kids are all vying to get into a soon-to-be opened scA fairly fun (if at times galling, annoying, and frustrating!) read about a set of friends whose kids are all vying to get into a soon-to-be opened school for gifted children. At times the scenes, if somewhat exaggerated and implausible (the book is written as a satire afte all), hits too close to home! The neuroses about advantage, privilege, class, intelligence, and connections that are featured in the book are certainly real in many presumably liberal academically-centered towns (the story is set in what I believe to be a fictional version of Boulder, CO).
Definitely a fast read, and there are some significant big reveals that open up towards the end of the book. Set in the late 10s, the story still seems viable now, and the references to modern-day life (text messaging, vlogs, intense soccer tournaments) are still current....more
I love fun literature about professors and academics, but this plot line played out so predictably and everything is wrapped up so tidily at the end. I love fun literature about professors and academics, but this plot line played out so predictably and everything is wrapped up so tidily at the end. The read all in all comes off as rather trite.
Regardless, if one is up for a fun quick read and simple characterizations, this book would do the trick....more
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