I recently identified a new genre of movie, the Parent-Child Romantic Comedy, and an analysis of these films helped me understand something about being a parent. My essay was published on the New York Times Motherlode blog here: http://nyti.ms/1wwP0qi Second favorite reaction to my essay: “That was yours? I saw that in a friend’s Facebook status.”…
The Boston Globe Connections column yesterday printed my essay on my experience away from the Internet, forced to actually connect with the other people in my presence to learn anything — and enjoying it. I coined a phrase to describe the collected brainpower in a room: the Roomnet. Earlier this year, an archaeological dig took…
An article I wrote in April 2012 about Pete Seeger was published in the Newton Tab in the weeks leading up to a Newton Family Singers Seeger-themed concert. It’s no longer on the Tab website, and it seems appropriate to repost it here. Reading it over, the article reads a bit like an obituary. Rest…
Grub Street is a terrific resource for writers in the Boston area — they offer classes, consultations and conferences. They also have a daily blog of writing advice. My contribution was about what I learned from listening to the “Breaking Bad Insider Podcast.” It starts: I’m among the many fans who are eagerly awaiting each…
After Breaking Bad’s last episode’s cliffhanger, I have no idea whether Hank, Gomie or Jesse survives, but I had a sudden flash of insight as to what will happen with Walter White and the Neo-Nazis. My prediction is based half on what is being shown with the characters, and half based on analyzing the narrative…
I wrote an article for the Newton Tab about Pete Seeger: Pete Seeger turns 93 on May 3. He is known as a songwriter for writing songs as well-known as “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” and “Turn, Turn, Turn,” as an advocate of folk music for popularizing and adapting the songs of others, like…
For fans of Edward Tufte or other graphic designers (if you can name one, you are a fan): Movie box office charts. Well designed.
Jack Cheng, PhD 