Chris Nicholson's Writing Weblog
March 25, 2008 • Tuesday
CNN.com ran an article today about universities that offer literature courses covering the Harry Potter septet. See "Pottermania lives on in college classrooms."
For the record, the first I heard of this phenomenon was when my friend Roberta Staples, a tenured professor, offered a course in the Harry Potter texts at Sacred Heart University several years ago, when there were only five books.
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March 19, 2008 • Wednesday
Dick Durrell, the founding publisher of People magazine and an early mentor of mine, passed away last week at the age of 82.
In college I signed up for "Magazine Publication and Related Communications," a course Dick taught every several semesters during his retirement years. I didn't even know who he was, let alone how profound an impact he'd have on me merely by asking and respecting my opinions. When I became editor of the university newspaper, he wrote me a congratulatory note, and even ordered a subscription. Later he stayed in touch with letters and lunches, and was my ringer resume reference.
I last saw Dick in 2002, the first time he let me pay for lunch; it was my thank-you for the guidance he'd given me.
For more information about Dick and his passing, see his obituaries in the New York Times and the Connecticut Post.
He was a good man, whose guidance leaves me eternally grateful.
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March 01, 2008 • Saturday
In my personal war against cliche, I always love finding an ally. The humor publication The Onion is one of my most formidable.
Their latest salvo is the article "Idiom Shortage Leaves Nation All Sewed Up In Horse Pies."
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