A Letter to Anis Shivani and His Response

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I wrote an email to the author and critic Anis Shivani.  I found his book, Against the Workshop both frustrating and amazing, and I highly recommend it to all writers and especially to those interested in pursuing an M.F.A. degree. Here is my email to Mr. Shivani in its entirety:
Mr. Shivani,

I’m currently reading Against the Workshop after finding some of your essays online.  I’m a 40 year old freshmen in the Communications Program at Keystone College.  To be honest, I purchased the book to write a persuasive essay defending the MFA system by tearing apart your claims, but find myself agreeing with you, despite the fact that I’m at first angered by what you say. Continue Reading →

Opinion

Some Thoughts on RSS Readers

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Given the end of Google Reader, I’ve been thinking about RSS readers again.  Those who know me are aware that it’s a subject I’ve been thinking about for a long time.  I’ve already decided to write my own, and Reporters’ Labs Better RSS Reader challenge has me thinking about what an RSS reader should be. 1. An RSS Reader Should be Simple

This is why I don’t like magazine style layouts.  I can’t find what I need.  RSS is, without a doubt, one of the more useful ideas to come along, and it’s great that people are using it in different ways.  For me, though, an RSS reader that’s beautiful isn’t necessarily better than one that’s functional. 2. It Should Aggregate, Not Suggest

Google Reader could suggest feeds based on what you had already subscribed to.  Do we really need that?  I know I have never used it.  Just because I subscribe to XKCD doesn’t mean I want to subscribe to SMBC (though I subscribe to both).  Feed discovery is an entirely different process from feed aggregation.  There are plenty of sites that can help someone find new things to read.  Reddit and Hacker News both come to mind. Continue Reading →

Here We Go Again

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So I’m starting another blog.  I’ve decided that, as a Communications major, I’d really like to blog about Communications issues.  In particular, I’m interested in things like Data-Driven Journalism, Entrepreneurial Journalism, and media issues.  That’s what this blog will be about.  Occasionally, there will be off-topic posts, but I promise it will be rare. Continue Reading →