They Say / I Blog

Protecting our past: Elizabeth Silkes on the places that connect us all

There are some places around the world that carry significant meaning, not just for the local community, but for all humankind. These places are the stuff of bucket lists, the wonders of the world, marked for preservation and protection because they stand for our common humanity. Elizabeth Silkes, the Executive Director of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, argues for the importance of protecting cultural and historical sites in this January 10, 2020 TIME essay.

Elizabeth Silkes, "Cultural Heritage Reminds Us of Our Shared Humanity. That’s Why Threats Against Them Are So Dangerous." TIME, 10 January 2020

 

Beyond Black Panther: Scott Woods on the promise of Afrofuturism

“What’s this Afrofuturism I keep hearing about?” Scott Woods responds to this question in his December 27, 2019 essay, “The Decade Afrofuturism Reshaped Science Fiction and the World,” published in LEVEL. Scott Woods argues that Afrofuturism—an artistic, cultural, and political movement—has moved from fringe to mainstream culture in the 2010s, and he imagines what Afrofuturism might offer in the next decade.

Scott Woods, "The Decade Afrofuturism Reshaped Science Fiction and the World," LEVEL, 27 December 2019.

 

Time for "they": Benjamin Dreyer on the word of the year

Merriam-Webster chose “they” as its 2019 word of the year, a testament to the political and personal importance of pronouns. Benjamin Dreyer, vice president of Random House and self-described “word person by trade,” explains why this choice matters for everyone in his Washington Post op-ed, published on December 16, 2019.

Benjamin Dreyer, "Language Is Here to Serve All of Us. Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year Shows That." The Washington Post, 16 December 2019

 

Out in theaters: Martin Scorsese on the movie industry

When you go to the movies, what are you looking for? To see something surprising, challenging, or unexpected? Or to be happily entertained, consuming a bag of popcorn along with the latest superhero sequel? Perhaps your expectations are shaped by the Hollywood film industry and their willingness to take risks. Martin Scorsese, award-winning filmmaker and director, critiques modern film franchises in his November 4, 2019 op-ed in The New York Times. Think, as you read his piece, about how Scorsese’s perspective on the purpose of films might be different from yours, and why that might be.

Martin Scorsese, “I Said Marvel Movies Aren’t Cinema. Let Me Explain.” The New York Times, 4 November 2019

 

The right direction: Coleman Hughes and the case for black optimism

How do we measure progress? Coleman Hughes, a 23-year-old Columbia University student, looks at this question in his essay, “The Case for Black Optimism,” published in September 2019 in Quillette, an international online journal. Hughes makes the claim that black Americans are better off today than they have ever been, and he argues that this progress should be emphasized more in conversations about the state of black America. As you read, pay attention to how Hughes uses data and statistics to back up his claims.span>

Coleman Hughes– “The Case for Black Optimism” – Quillette, 28 September 2019

 

Mightier than the sword: Markham Heid on the benefits of handwriting

Most elementary schools in the US no longer teach cursive writing, and many educators, psychologists, and others have lamented the change. Philadelphia-based health and science writer Markham Heid summarizes some of the research showing the benefits of longhand writing and adds an argument of his own in this September 2019 essay in elemental+, a Medium blog.

Markham Heid–"Bring back handwriting: It's good for your brain"–elemental+, 12 September 2019

 

Field not level: Scott Martelle on NCAA and California

The NCAA is in the news again, and it’s not even March or bowl season. What’s going on? A new law in California gives student athletes the right to be paid for the use of their names and images, and the NCAA is strongly opposed to it. Veteran journalist and LA Times editorial writer Scott Martelle has a few things to say about the controversy in this October 2019 column.

Scott Martelle, "NCAA's response to California: Don't stop our exploitation"

 

Getting unhooked: Nellie Bowles on screen addiction and responsibility

We already know this. People spend a lot of time—maybe too much—on their phones and other devices, and it’s a troubling trend. But who is ultimately responsible for changing the habits and fixing the problem? Does the responsibility lie squarely with individual users to make changes? Should designers and developers of apps and devices make modifications to their products to make them less addictive? Both? Neither? San Francisco-based New York Times writer Nellie Bowles explores these questions in this October 2019 article.

Nellie Bowles, "Addicted to screens? That's really a you problem"

 

Trusting the foxes: Rob Eshman on the challenge of opening our hearts

What if your very life depended on trusting people that you had learned explicitly to hate, feat, and distrust? Yikes! What a terrible question, right? You may not be able to answer it easily, but most likely you will never find yourself in such a dramatic situation, so no worries. Writer and former publisher of the Jewish Journal Rob Eshman talked with someone who did face that question, and he writes about their conversation in this October 2019 Los Angeles Times essay.

Eshman, “The Yom Kippur lesson I learned from a Muslim man”

 

Time or money: Robert Roy Britt on life values and happiness

What’s more important to you, time or money? Crazy question, right? But science writer Robert Roy Britt reports on numerous studies that demonstrate that, as his title declares, “time can make you happier than money.” Check out his September 2019 essay published in elemental+, a Medium blog.

Britt, “Time can make you happier than money”