Category Archives: Academia

Brace yourself: the latest, greatest edition of Mark Twain’s Autobiography is almost here

Posted on 28 October 2010 by

[Slate] At Slate, I’ve got an essay on the crazy behind-the-scenes history of Mark Twain’s Autobiography and its various editions. The latest one just arrived, and, over the last six months, it’s been getting some unbelievable hype, thanks in large … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Books, Features | 1 Comment

The Dabbler

Posted on 15 October 2010 by

[New York Press] In one of several recent cover stories — this one in The Advocate — James Franco complained about the early reactions to Palo Alto, his new collection of short stories: If websites like Gawker.com or PerezHilton.com don’t like … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Books | 1 Comment

The College-Exploitation Machine

Posted on 6 October 2010 by

[Lexington Herald-Leader] Dustin Sinclair, an old college roommate and current good friend, and I co-wrote an op ed in the Lexington Herald-Leader on higher education’s growing costs and shrinking access. This is an enormously complex issue, of course, but we tried … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Hoosiers | Leave a comment

Sex, Lies, and Athletic Tape

Posted on 25 November 2009 by

[Deadspin] Over at Deadspin, I’ve got a dispatch from this year’s Harvard-Yale game. It’s the 126th time the two have met, and, in both pretension and pageantry, it lives up to your expectations. One of my favorite details from this … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, All History is Local History, Features, Sports | Leave a comment

Lewis Hyde Practices What He Preaches

Posted on 23 October 2009 by

[The Millions] Over at The Millions, I’ve got a post on Lewis Hyde and his absurdly overlooked “Frames from the Framers: How America’s Revolutionaries Imagined Intellectual Property.” It’s a great essay with real-world relevance—both to downloading music, which Hyde examines … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Books, Dissertation ephemera | Leave a comment