As students rush off to beaches around America, letting loose their inhibitions in a week-long celebration of youth and over-indulgence, I'm finalizing the materials for two sections of first-year writing that I'll be teaching at Ohio State Newark next quarter. I'm excited to return to the course theme--"Food and Culture"--and to see what kinds of papers, projects, and websites my students will construct and create. I had great success with this course during Winter 2012, and I've made some changes that I hope will make the class more enjoyable, more challenging, and more worthwhile for students.
Once I'm done with the finishing academic touches, I'm off to Little Rock, Arkansas, for the week with my wife for our own spring break--mostly apartment hunting for our upcoming move, but also exploring the culture...through food, of course. Little Rock is known for its fried catfish as well bbq, a cooking style that pervades the entire area. The city is only two hours from Memphis, the so-called bbq capital of the country (and thus the world), so we'll be staying for a few days in Tennessee as well. Having been to Kansas City, I'm a bit skeptical about Memphis's bbq boasts, but a quick web search looks very promising for days filled with bbq, soul food, and rock n' roll.
Once I'm done with the finishing academic touches, I'm off to Little Rock, Arkansas, for the week with my wife for our own spring break--mostly apartment hunting for our upcoming move, but also exploring the culture...through food, of course. Little Rock is known for its fried catfish as well bbq, a cooking style that pervades the entire area. The city is only two hours from Memphis, the so-called bbq capital of the country (and thus the world), so we'll be staying for a few days in Tennessee as well. Having been to Kansas City, I'm a bit skeptical about Memphis's bbq boasts, but a quick web search looks very promising for days filled with bbq, soul food, and rock n' roll.