Word of the Week! Liminal Richmond Writing

Word of the Week! Liminal Richmond Writing This word troubled me in graduate school, during the darkest part of what I now call The Theory Wars in English. This was a time when ideas about how to teach literature changed rapidly, and many a student became a pawn sacrificed in a game with small global stakes. A graduate students worth could be measured by the obscure terms bandied about. Academic gadfly Stanley Fish, on a visit to a seminar at Indiana University, asked one notably obtuse peer of mine son, could you please use a  verb? Enter, not a verb but the adjective liminal. Thirty years ago to my unschooled ear, it sounded like a term for lighting. There is more to it; like  palimpsest, a word featured here a while back, our current pick bubbles with energy when used well (which, sadly, appears to be a rare occurrence).   The term concerns thresholds, as the OED makes plain, and it is a youngblood of a word, first occurring in the late 19th Century. In scientific parlance, it may refer to the lowest amount necessary to produce a particular effect. We might think of limit in the same sense, but the OED shows us that that the words do not share an etymology. When thinking about it, a limit ends something. A liminal amount or space serves as a transition. In my field, that idea of transition takes center stage. Consider this usage by Daniel Mahala that I stumbled upon in my research, Moreover, writing centers are themselves, as Bonnie Sunstein has amply illustrated, liminal spaces where a kind of in-betweenness holds sway (9). Mahala means that centers, as support services and as academic units, have a foot in the worlds of scholarship and service. We naturally cross and, in fact, are thresholds. Other uses in the Humanities often concern themselves with indeterminacy, ambiguity, hybridity, potential for subversion and change (Border Poetics). Thus we see how what was and probably still is called high theory adopted a word that might otherwise simply mean a boundary. As we enter that liminal time between summer and the start of the semester, please nominate a word or metaphor useful in academic writing by e-mailing me (jessid -at- richmond -dot- edu) or leaving a comment below. See all of our Metaphors of the Month  here  and Words of the Week  here. Threshold courtesy of M Möller on Flickr. Works Cited: Border Poetics. Liminality. http://borderpoetics.wikidot.com/liminality Mahala, Daniel. “Writing Centers in the Managed University.” The Writing Center Journal, vol. 27, no. 2, 2007, pp. 3â€"17. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/43442269

The Threat Of Global Warming - 1487 Words

Ever since the twenty-first century, the injury and menace posed by global climate change to human being has long been acknowledged by public. In the face of global warming, a series of resulting problems inflict a serious threat on the nature environment, which is the material base of the human being depending on. Therefore, climate change is no longer just a discipline problem but also has gradually become a major social problem, which has draw a common concern for us humans. During this, the resulting problems coming with the climate change has been transforming from oneness to diversification, from being known to being unknown. Various new phenomena lead to the change to human survival state. Most importantly, disaster in different†¦show more content†¦On the contrary, it is generally agreed by the majority of scientists that human activities, especially since the industrial revolution in 1840s, including the production of factories, the consumption of customers, the usi ng of land among others, makes the most contribution to the global warming. The assessment report published by IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) in 2007 notes that the likelihood of the human activities to be the causes of the climate change is more than 90 %. The IPPC s reports on climate change highlight how human activities have affected global temperature in the past 50 years. There are the primary human activities that contribute to the climate change. One of many points is burning of fossil fuels results in a tremendous emission of green house gases in the atmosphere. Since the Industrial Revolution in 19th, the demand of fossil fuels increase sharply. Fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas supply most of the energy neediness for transportation, electricity generation and household heating. According to the IPCC’s reports, burning of fuels (world wide) produces around 21.3 billion tons (21.3 gigatons) of carbon dioxide every year. Though part of the carbon dioxide exited in the human life circle would be absorbed naturally, the remainder gets caught up in the atmosphere and contributes to global greenhouse gas warming. Another point is improper usage of land is also one of the most important factors that should draw

King Lear and the Genre of Tragedy Essay - 960 Words

A tragedy is a genre typically defined as a play that deals with a series of events that lead to the downfall of the hero. Written between 1604 and 1606, ‘King Lear’ falls into the genre of tragedy, depicting the destruction and downfall of the main character (Abrams). The play centres on Lear, an aging king who, in his retirement, decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters while retaining the title and privileges of being king. However, King Lear’s actions lead to the destruction of his family, tearing up his kingdom and creating a war. ‘King Lear’ is a tragedy as it follows the codes and conventions generally associated with the genre. The hero and main protagonist, King Lear, is an influential, highborn character. This†¦show more content†¦Therefore, in stripping Lear of his power, they are reducing him to the level of an animal. It is Lear’s fatal flaw of pride, his conceited nature and ignorance that lead to him sta ging the ‘love test’ in the beginning of the play. It is Lear’s actions based on this test that end up destroying his family. Family is the most evident theme portrayed in ‘King Lear’ and is the centre of the play. Lear is not only the king but also a family patriarch thus making him the most influential figure in his three daughter’s life (Novelguide). However, Lear is an egocentric character driven by his own wants and needs. He wants to be treated as a king, with all the privileges of being a king but without any of the responsibility or pressures of ruling a kingdom. This is evident in the ‘love test’ he stages with his daughters in the beginning of the play. â€Å"Tell me, my daughters - Since now we will divest us, both of us rule, Interest of territory, cares of state - Which of you shall we say doth love us most?† page 1256, lines 48-50 Lear asks his daughters to tell him just how much they love him, so that one might receive a larger amount of land to rule over. In his ignorance Lear expects these answers to be true and takes the falsified love Goneril and Reagan show in saying that they love him â€Å"†¦more than words can wield,† (page 1256, line 54) as a compliment, granting them a decent size of land, when in reality their affection forShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s King Lear971 Words   |  4 PagesKing Lear Exam Question In all genres there are stereotypical elements. This academic essay will outline the importance and effect of the elements of dramatic tragedy within the given passage from King Lear, and how this is significant and develops an understanding in the audience towards the play as a whole. The passage given comes from Act 1; Scene 1 of ‘King Lear’. 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There has been various writers who have been studying Shakespeare’s plays and poems for over 300 years, but theyRead More Essay on The Redemption of King Lear950 Words   |  4 Pages The Redemption of King Lear?nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp; Shakespeare’s play, King Lear is quite renowned and the folly of the ancient King is a great example of how not to handle family relationships. The question has been proposed nbsp;if King Lear is redeemed when reunited with Cordelia. King Lear does achieve a kind of redemption when he is reunited with Cordelia in Acts IV and V of the tragedy.nbsp; What kind of redemption he achieves is open to interpretation.nbsp;Read MoreA Thousand Acres By William Shakespeare2620 Words   |  11 Pagesprotagonist, Shakespeare’s presence can be felt in every genre of writing. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley is also one such piece of writing. This novel came out in 1991 and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Based on Shakespeare’s King Lear, this novel is set on a thousand acre farm in Iowa owned by a father with three daughters. The narration is done by Ginny, the eldest daughter. There are many similarities between the character development of King Lear and A Thousand Acres, along with the plot. ThroughoutRead MoreEssay about William Shakespeares Relevance Today2257 Words   |  10 PagesBlairite Britain. Anyone with even the most rudimentary understanding of history would be more than aware that much has changed in society since this time. Taking what is widely acclaimed as Shakespeare’s crowning artistic achievement, King Lear, as an example (as is the intention of the majority of this work), a strong case can perhaps be made to say that much of the intended theme and content is, by and large, irrelevant to a modern audience. The standard response to

Audio Production Free Essays

For my paper I chose the audio production and engineering relating to the Music field. Music is not only beats and rhymes; it is a statement of life, and now days a way to make a fortune. It relaxes, motivates and is a great hobby for the idol one. We will write a custom essay sample on Audio Production or any similar topic only for you Order Now In addition to this Music has been around for more than a thousand years and has a very colossal impact on every existing culture while still developing with new innovative sounds, techniques and not to mention jobs. Today there are over 2 million jobs in the audio production and engineer field. People use music to relax and express one’s self as well as their culture. Take the Native Americans as well as Africans Americans for example. They are infamous in using drums to beat for entertainment at gatherings. Denying that music is not a form of popular culture in my opinion is asinine. Over the broad plans of the scorching hot plantations which the field workers in the 1600’s worked; under these extreme inhumane living conditions the slaves were subjected to, they would hum tunes that would get them through their times of atrocity and calamity. With over a billion songs in existence today, it is hard to imagine that anyone has never heard a song before and for most people inspired by at least one of them. There is a big controversy stating that rap music has, and is still influencing our younger generation and to certain amplitude I agree. The jails across America are being filled to capacity over violent confrontations in our streets. Many killings are occurring after bar and nightclub shootings from local gang members using drugs and playing rap music. Some of the music being listened to is introducing children to drugs sex and jail could this be all bad? Surly not! Studying the lyrics to some of your most hated rap songs my just provide you with some of the problems our society faces and the solutions that will help us surmount them. How to cite Audio Production, Essay examples

Caliban The Tempest Essay Example For Students

Caliban The Tempest Essay Mowats essay emphasizes Calibans significant role in The Tempest, by William Shakespeare. Calibans character, in relation to Prosperos, expresses the actual relations between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries of settlers and natives, Caliban being the native of the island, and Prospero, the settler. Miranda and Prospero introduce Caliban to the reader as a villain, slave and even a tortoise.. Caliban and his mother, Sycorax, a witch, were the only inhabitants of the island. After Sycoraxs death, Prospero with Miranda settled on the island and enslaved Caliban. Caliban offered them the knowledge of the island and in return, they taught him language. Caliban is described as a monster, thing of darkness and a freckled whelp.. He is intended to represent the savage of the island by his appearance and language. Caliban extremely resents Prosperos actions, as he says, and here you sty me In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me The rest o th island.. Caliban shows remorse towards Prospero as Prospero tries to explain his gift of language. In return, Caliban says, The red plague rid you For learning me your language! In translation, Caliban wishes the plague destroyed Prospero for offering Caliban anything of his. The issue of colonization is a very offensive and corrupt situation. The act of intruding and conquering an inhabited area can lead to a very complex outcome. Such actions have taken place in past colonization, such as the Americas, Africa and India. The Tempest is a novel that portrays these occurrences. William Shakespeare uses two individuals whom encounter a problematic condition. Caliban, the native and Prospero, the settler, both face disagreeable circumstances that lead to the climax of colonization. Shakespeare uses Caliban as a rugged appearance but is actually poetic, friendly and gullible. Calibans personality contradicts his appearance and therefore, symbolizes the hidden warped appearance of Prospero. Prosperos act of colonizing the island is selfish and unjust considering Calibans situation.

Research Paper on Hungary Essay Example

Research Paper on Hungary Essay Speaking about the history of courts in Hungary I would like to note that based on the Act20 of 1949 on the Hungarian constitution, and on the ActLXVI of 1997 on the Organization and administration of Hungarian courts, the Hungarian justice and court system is represented by a 4-level system which comprises the Supreme court, the regional courts of appeal, the county courts and the local courts. The first instance jurisdiction rests with the local courts effecting the principle that the majority of all different cases gets settled with the local level courts. Appeals against the court decisions settled at the local level are brought to the county courts which function as appellate courts, yet in some cases involving large sums (over $30,000 in severance fees) and criminal cases that might involve a life-long imprisonment, the county courts act as the institutions of first instance jurisdiction. The territorial competence of different courts is determined by the public administration. For instance, regional Hungarian courts of appeal hear the appeals against the decisions made b the local and county courts. There exist only 5 courts of appeal located in Budapest, Pecs, Szeged, Debrecen and Gyor, yet they serve the needs of all citizens around the country. Since these 5 courts examine appeals logged against the decisions made at the local and county level they reduce the workload for the Supreme Court, so that this highest judicial institution in Hungary can concentrate on the proper application of law throughout the land and assure that the Judicial system of Hungary remains fair and properly integrated in the EU judicial system. To assure the independence of courts, one separated the courts from the executive, and the legislative branches of government. The court system is administered by the National Council of Justice which comprises the following functions: Appoint and dismiss the presidents and vice-presidents of regional courts of appeal and the county courts (Apponyi, 2004). Oversee the administrative activity of courts throughout the system with the exception of President of the Supreme Court of Hungary. Make recommendations to the President of Hungary regarding the nomination and relief of Judges. Express the primary qualified opinion on the President’s decision to appoint certain people are judges. Prepare the budget of courts of different levels and report the financing to the government. Lay forward the principles of organization and operations of Hungarian courts of all levels (Bence, 2004). Provide the education and training to judges at all levels in Hungary. We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Hungary specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Hungary specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Hungary specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This national council of justice comprises 15 members: 9 judges being elected through delegates, the Minister of Justice, the Prosecutor General, the President of the National Bar Association and Two MPs who get appointed routinely by the Constitutional and Judicial committee and the Budget and financial committee of Hungary. The council cooperates closely with the President of the Supreme court of Hungary who submits annually reports to the Parliament about the overall effectiveness of the judicial system of Hungary and the activities of the National Council of Justice (Shea, 2003). The judges in Hungary are appointed and dismissed by the President of Hungary. The recruitment to the Hungarian courts is rather competitive. The candidates have to be Hungarian nationals with a right to vote and without any criminal record. They need to possess a university degree and will pass a professional exam prior to occupy the post. University graduates in law typically work for 3 years as trainees or interns in the courts and then another year or two as court secretaries. After spending 4-5 years in total in the court, one is qualified to pass the professional exam and undergoes a medical and criminal check. Then, upon receiving a recommendation from the president of the county court and after receiving the proposal by the national council of justice, the president of Hungary appoints that person for a 3-year probationary period as a judge. After the probationary period, the judge will be either re-appointed for an indefinite period or will be dismissed. The judge can work u ntil the age of 70 years (Fallon, 2004). The Hungarian constitution states that the Hungarian judges are independent are subjects to law only. The judges cannot pursue any other career in politics or business and can work only as professors in universities. They cannot work as judges in several different courts at the same time. Since 2001, Hungarian judges are required to make disclosure declarations on their property which gets monitored by the national council of justice. The judges undergo training and pass exams every 3 years to assure their high level of competence and proficiency (Walzer, 2003). The constitutional court (Supreme court) of Hungary is not a part of the regular judicial system, and therefore it has its own budget and eleven judges who get elected by the parliament of Hungary. The constitutional court reviews constitutionality of laws and regulations and protects the constitutional order in the country and assures the citizens fundamental rights granted by the Hungarian constitution. This court review the laws post-factum and engages in preventive reviews of laws and statutes. The decisions of the Supreme Court cannot be contested (Fazakas 2003). Crime level in Hungary is still rather high compared to the crime level in the USA, or western Europe simply because Hungary is still a rather young country, a new and poor EU member. The crimes in Hungary are represented by the following most common crimes: Theft of Credit card and bank cards. The criminals either steal the credit cards via conventional ways (pick pocketing) or by setting up fake card readers in crowded places where besides obtaining money from a regular ATM, the customer’s card details are read by the special card reader (Molnar 2002). Pick pocketing is common in all cases where there are crowds: public transportation, crowded buses, and undergrounds. Windscreen-cleaners. These are volunteer helpers who approach your car at the traffic light crossing or in a jam, blur the window for a few seconds and then demand money. If you refuse to pay, they might scratch the car or break the window and might even hit the driver (Adams, 2004). Property Theft is another prevailing crime in Hungary which is present in large cities. Car theft, mobile phone theft, laptop computers theft are the crimes that affect most people (Gross, 2004). False police officers is another crime during which criminals dress as police officers, t hen approach people on the streets, engage in searches and either steal the money or property for investigation purposes or demand the cash explicitly. The police in Hungary is improving routinely as Hungary entered the EU and brought the standards to the European level. Still the salaries of Hungarian police officers remain rather low (approximately $1000 per month depending on the rank and the areas that a police officer covers). With such low salaries, police officers might get tempted to accept and demand a bribe from the regular people and from some criminals. The most corrupt officers in police represent the road police, who oftentimes get tempted to receive a bribe from traffic violators (Walzer, 2003). Instead of punishing the criminals and drunk drivers with fines or instead of brining them to court, these police officers get tempted to receive bribes instead. The Hungarian police in the recent years in major large cities would undertake various raids where undercover police officers would drive badly and offer bribes to their counterparts. Those who accept bribes would be fires or brought to court. Still, in smaller towns and areas, bribery and corruption is still prevalent. One needs to remember that corruption applies not only to road police; criminal police and customs office police also engage in corrupt behavior. It appears that training and increased salaries is the ultimate answer to corruption in police. In conclusion I would like to note that Hungary is a well-developed eastern European nation and a European union member which attracts over 30% of all investments directed for eastern Europe. The judicial system in Hungary had been designed in a manner to discourage corruption and bias, while at the same time fostering justice and independence. The country still has some problems with the corruption in police yet increased public awareness trainings, growing salaries and stringent punishment for bad cops assures that in the long run, corruption will cease to exist in Hungary.

Narrow Your Focus for a Research Paper

Narrow Your Focus for a Research Paper It is typical for students to set off on a research topic only to find out that the one theyve chosen is too broad. If you are lucky, you will find out before you conduct too much research, because much of the early research you carry out might be useless once you finally narrow your topic. It is a good idea to run your initial research idea by a teacher or librarian to get an expert opinion. He or she will save you some time and give you some tips on narrowing the scope of your topic. What Is Too Broad? Students get tired of hearing that their chosen topic is too broad, but it is a very common problem. How do you know if your topic is too broad? If you find yourself in the library staring at a entire section of books that could work as references for your topic, it is too broad! A good topic addresses a specific question or problem. You should see only four or five books on the shelf that address your specific research question (maybe fewer!).If your topic can be summed up in a word or two, like smoking, school cheating, education, overweight teens, corporal punishment, Korean War, or hip-hop, it is too broad.If you have trouble coming up with a thesis statement, your topic is probably too broad.​ A good research project must be narrowed down in order to be meaningful and manageable. How to Narrow Your Topic The best way to narrow your topic is to apply a few of the old familiar question words, like who, what, where, when, why, and how. Paddling as punishment:Where?: Paddling in grade schoolWhat and where?: Emotional effects of paddling in grade schoolWhat and who?: Emotional effects of paddling on female childrenHip-hop dancing:What?: Hip-hop as therapyWhat and where?: Hip-hop as therapy in JapanWhat, where, and who?: Hip-hop as therapy for delinquent youth in Japan Eventually, you will see that the process of narrowing your research topic actually makes your project more interesting. Already, youre one step closer to a better grade! Another Tactic Another good method for narrowing your focus involves brainstorming a list of terms and questions related to your broad topic. To demonstrate, lets start with a broad subject,  like unhealthy behavior as an example. Imagine that your instructor has given this subject as a writing prompt. You can make a list of somewhat-related, random nouns and see if you can ask questions to relate the two topics. This results in a narrow subject! Here is a demonstration: ArtCarsBedbugsEyeballsSandwiches This might look random, but your next step is to come up with a question that connects the two subjects. The answer to that question is the starting point for a thesis statement, and a brainstorming session like this can lead to great research ideas. Art and unhealthy behavior:Is there a specific piece of art that represents the hazards of smoking?Is there a famous artist who died from an unhealthy habit?Sandwiches and unhealthy behavior:What happens if you eat sandwiches every day for dinner?Are ice cream sandwiches really bad for us?