Language and Power in N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell’s “Far Sector”

Category: language

We all know the power of words and the ways that words shape our reality. The student in Ernest Gaines’ “The Sky is Gray” points this out when he gets into a conversation with other individuals in the waiting room at a dentist office. He tells those around him that the grass is black and that the wind is pink. Immediately, they laugh at him and … Read More Language and Power in N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell’s “Far Sector”

November 27, 2025 + Albert Camus, creative writing, language, Literature, the bluest eye, toni morrison, writing

The Role of the Artist in Interesting Times: A Look at Albert Camus’s “Creating Dangerously”

by Matthew Teutsch

Almost two years ago to the day, I finally read Albert Camus’ The Stranger. I had come across, somewhere, a discussion of the novel’s ending, which I won’t spoil here, and I became intrigued, especially since I was reading texts about the Algerian War and about France’s protectorate control of Morocco. Since then, I have been wanting to read more Camus, especially his 1947 novel The Plague which … Read More The Role of the Artist in Interesting Times: A Look at Albert Camus’s “Creating Dangerously”

June 6, 2024 + judy blume, language, lee atwater, race, wifey

Race in Judy Blume’s “Wifey”: Part II

by Matthew Teutsch

Last post, I started looking at race in Judy Blume’s Wifey. Today, I want to continue that exploration by looking at the ways that characters in the novel deploy language to cover up their racism when referring to African Americans in the novel. Language becomes a thread weaving its way throughout the novel, masking, for the public, the racist attitudes behind the words. All of … Read More Race in Judy Blume’s “Wifey”: Part II

March 7, 2023 + critical literacy, critical thinking, language, nazi, world war ii

The Importance of Critically Engaging with Language

by Matthew Teutsch

Growing up, I’d be riding with someone and as we drove through a parking lot, the person may look at a Cadillac or a car that was not parked correctly and say, “Gotta be a Democrat.” Or, while waiting in line somewhere, a person might say, “Look at that Canadian acting like that.” In each of these cases, the speaker attempted to code their … Read More The Importance of Critically Engaging with Language

February 11, 2021 + african american literature, elliptical, harryette mullen, language, recitiatif, toni morrison

Collaboration between the Author and Reader

by Matthew Teutsch

This semester, I’m teaching Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif” again, and every time I teach it something new stands out to me. I read and thought about Morrison’s story in connection with the relationship between the author and her audience. Morrison invites her audience to become a co-creator of the text, and in this manner the author and audience engage within a dialogic where they each … Read More Collaboration between the Author and Reader

Interminable Rambling

Language and Power in N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell’s “Far Sector”

Category: language