Month: June 2024

“But Quiet, Be Quiet a Minute”: On The Death of Fred Phelps

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Philosophy, Politics, RMWMTMBM Archive, Women and Gender Issues 0 Comments

The news has just been released that Rev. Fred Phelps, founder and lifelong shepherd of the Westboro Baptist Church (in Topeka, Kansas) has died at the age of 84.  I find it difficult, I confess, to summon the normal human compassion that usually accompanies news of another’s death in this case, largely because Phelps dedicated…

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Spillit Memphis: The Hilarious and Heartbreaking Beauty of Storytelling Animals

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Memphis, Philosophy, Pop Culture/Film/Literature, RMWMTMBM Archive, Weak Humanism 0 Comments

I had the very good fortune to attend my first Spillit event last night in (local photographer/visual anthropologist, Jamie Harmon‘s) Amurica studio space.  Spillit is one of the newer additions to what has become, over the last several years, an incredibly rich, astoundingly diverse, mostly DIY and impressively self-sustaining (for lack of a better descriptor)…

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On “Solidarity”

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Philosophy, Politics, RMWMTMBM Archive, Women and Gender Issues 0 Comments

Let’s face it: exercising solidarity is tricky business, not the least of which is because “solidarity” itself is a tricky concept, which requires the subordination of real differences (across a whole host of important categorical domains) for the sake of some particular common interest that might prioritize similitude– often for prudentially strategic reasons– over, across…

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Grading War Letters to Home, Day 1

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson GradingWarLetterstoHome, Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Teaching 0 Comments

These are the letters from the first day of the Grading War.  If you landed here by accident and don’t know what you’re reading, click here for the backstory. 5 December 2013, 3:29pm Dearest Marcus, The battle here rages on unabated, only intensifying my longing for Deliverance, for the warmth and Safety of your hearth…

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Please Do NOT Revise Your Tone

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Codifying Civility and Collegiality, Philosophy, Politics, RMWMTMBM Archive, Women and Gender Issues 0 Comments

As some of you already know, I am also one of the bloggers at NewAPPS.  I’m re-posting here a piece co-authored by Edward Kazaian and I that appeared this past Tuesday on NewAPPS.  It’s generated a lot of conversation so far, and I’ll have a post forthcoming soon on my take on that conversation. What…

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Grading War Letters to Home, Day 5

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson GradingWarLetterstoHome, Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Teaching 0 Comments

These are the letters from the fifth day of the Grading War.  If you landed here by accident and don’t know what you’re reading, click here for the backstory. 9 December 2013, 10:55am Dearest Charles, I received your note and hope you do not mind that I shared it aloud with the boys at breakfast…

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Grading War Letters to Home, Day 6

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson GradingWarLetterstoHome, Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Teaching 0 Comments

These are the letters from the sixth day of the Grading War.  If you landed here by accident and don’t know what you’re reading, click here for the backstory. 10 December 2013, 11:45pm  Dearest Charles, Today, we persevered. Your friend,Leigh M. Johnson Click here to proceed to DAY SEVEN of the Grading War Letters

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Grading War Letters to Home, Day 8

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson GradingWarLetterstoHome, Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Teaching 0 Comments

These are the letters from the eighth (and penultimate) day of the Grading War.  If you landed here by accident and don’t know what you’re reading, click here for the backstory 12 December 2013, 3:28am Dearest Leigh I hope this dispatch will find you in good spirits and in the very best of health. I…

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Grading War Letters to Home, Day 9

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson GradingWarLetterstoHome, Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Teaching 0 Comments

These are the letters from the ninth (and final) day of the Grading War.  If you landed here by accident and don’t know what you’re reading, click here for the backstory. One last note:  this whole #GradingLetterstoHome adventure was great fun, and a very welcome relief from the drudgery of grading.  Thanks to Marcus Battle…

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Dr. J’s 2013 Year in Music

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 2013 Year in Review Lists, Dr. J's Lists, Music, RMWMTMBM Archive, Year in Review Lists 0 Comments

Today, I begin my annual Year in Review lists for 2013.  (If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can check out my past lists for the 2010 Year in Review, 2011 Year in Review and 2012 Year in Review.)  I make several lists every December, but almost every year, the Music list is my favorite to compose. …

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