jrlewis's blog

I have missed Serendip.  This website is the chance for meaningful intellectual exchange, as I understand it.  It is a playground for people who like to think and think about thinking. 

Lately, I have been thinking about writing.  I’ve been writing too: poetry, short stories, and essays. Writing for oneself is all well and good.  However, an alphabetical list of Microsoft word documents in isn’t a great measure of intellectual growth.  So I’m going to experiment with Serendip and keeping a blog of my writing and thoughts about writing.  Hoping that other Serendipians will participate too.  Writers are zebras, they thrive in a herd. 

If a course syllabus is a menu for a classroom experience, then here is my summary of the House of Wits Course 2010.  Each dish is a culinary representation of the James family member it is matched with opposite.  Anyone with allergies to pragmatism or relativism should avoid the preparations of William James.  They will result in a strong reaction.  They are arranged in reverse chronological order as the course primarily was.  Note how all the dishes work together... do they form a coherent meal?  Are their clashes in flavor?  Repetition?  All this is designed to bring out the family dynamics of the James.  Enjoy the meal!!!  And feel free to comment on your favorite dishes and personalities. 

What to do with William James?  His writings on psychology formed the primary textbook for that discipline.  The school of philosophy he developed, pragmatism appeals to philosophers and scientists alike.  Jacques Barzun identifies him as an American hero.  So it would seem that the works of William James have been assimilated into American culture and intellectual life.  If this is true, then what is the point of reading his original writings?  Or why should one use “The Writings of William James: A Comprehensive

Perhaps this is a stupid question…  Especially for someone who has taken almost enough literature courses to be an English minor… An avid reader of novels, graphic narratives, biographies, and texts on philosophy and science… 
WHAT IS LITERATURE?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 
Is it the texts of the Western Canon?  Is it global?  Is it any kind of artist writing?  What about important articles? Comics? Papers? Speeches? Films? Recipes?

In our discussion of The Portrait of a Lady, Anne asked our class to consider “who is the tyrant” of the novel.  She was inquiring what character or concept constrained the formerly free and independent character of Isabel Archer.  A discussion ensued about whether Gilbert Osmond or Isabel Archer’s imagination was the tyrant.  I would like to propose a third interpretation; Henry James, himself, is the great tyrant of his own novel. 

This paper unfolds as a ribbon rolling off a reel...

I love being a teaching assistant, but I hate grading! The monotony of comparing minute differences in framing answers to the same questions is almost unbearable.  Trying to remember the best response is an exercise in tediousness, overwhelming repetition.  It is a task I dread every week. 

The first twist of the ribbon was…

There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it: a Dormouse was sitting between them fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head,  ‘Very uncomfortable for the Dormouse,’ thought Alice; ‘only as its asleep, I suppose it doesn’t mind, (Carroll, 68). 
How did this pathetic creature, the Dormouse, come to occupy a place in a fantastic tea party with Alice James, Emily Dickinson, Margaret Fuller, and Myrtha?  What might a much abused, semiconscious mammal contribute to the conversation?  What function might this character serve in fleshing out Susan Sontag’s portrayal of Alice James?

Scientists, physicians, and patients use metaphors to understand the complex condition called cancer.  These metaphors direct the process of research and treatment.  It is sometimes useful to make explicit existing metaphors and their problems and to suggest new metaphors that might overcome them.  Thinking of cancer in evolutionary rather than military terms offers new possibilities in connection both with research and treatment.

Cancer as a Metaphor:

Senior Seminar in Biology and Society
November 10, 2009
Julia Lewis

Senior Seminar in Biology and Society
October 20, 2009
Julia Lewis

I would like to explore the role of society in current understandings of insomnia as a disease, symptom, or social construct.  To that end, I chose a broad range of readings including cultural, medical, and scientific perspectives on insomnia and sleep.  Hopefully these readings will help inform a conversation about the significance of sleep and its absence in human beings.

(Please download the full text pdfs of the articles)

role of sleep