Apologies for the blog silence, but I must admit that since arriving back in the U.S. I have been enjoying a life of nearly constant work.

In the mornings and afternoons I am writing and researching, and making great progress. After lunch, I do a little planning for teaching, both the summer course I am assigned now and the two speech courses I have planned for the fall.

In the evenings I try to read or listen to something that has nothing to do with my day. Well it is supposed to be different, but it has much to do with my work. Tonight I am listening to old recordings of Allan Watts’ talks on Buddhism and spirituality.

I am trying something new with my public speaking classes mostly because I am dissatisfied with how they go. The best way to come up with new ideas is to go for spontaneity – but not a class on a whim. It means, at least for me, to go with the flow and be ready for speeches and student action that I might not be prepared for. To prepare for what you expect them to do is to not be prepared at all. So I have very loose speech assignments and very interesting but vague readings.

Tonight we had a look at Rashomon in order to understand audience perspective and how to structure arguments. I think it was a pretty good way of approaching argument models. Style will be interesting. I think we will listen to and watch some public intellectuals speak. Then we can move from that into reading some pieces on intellectualism and what that means. Do you see?

I find it a hard class to teach as most of the students are new not only to college but to the U.S. I wonder what they must think of me jumping around and filling the board with nonsense.

I hope you will forgive the hiatus, but there will be some good stuff coming. Allow me to just enjoy doing my work for now, and after I have fermented some ideas we can both enjoy that blogger buzz again.