Author Archives: Fenster

About Fenster

Gainfully employed for thirty years, including as one of those high paid college administrators faculty complain about. Earned Ph.D. late in life and converted to the faculty side. Those damn administrators are ruining everything.

Some Greek Revivals

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Fenster

Fenster writes: I grew up in New England, where there are plenty of Greek Revivals. Some are more elaborate and use columns rather than just pediments. Jamaica Plain, a neighborhood of Boston, has some very nice examples. As does Brookline … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged architecture | 5 Comments

Summer Begins Upstate

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Fenster

Fenster writes: For $3.99 you can get a Ben and Jerry’s small cone in your typical metropolitan area. Now I would not necessarily make a special trip, but if you happen to be in the twin-“city” area of Cato/Meridian New … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and health | Leave a comment

TNR on Trigger Warnings X 3

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Fenster

Fenster writes: Not content to let the matter rest after one go at the subject of trigger warnings, The New Republic has now published/posted three articles on the subject in less than a week. The different approaches to the topic … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Media | 6 Comments

Fighting Words Links

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Fenster

Fenster writes: The Garland Texas shoot out has spurred another round of speechifying on free speech, much of it of the yes but variety. I don’t like a lot of it since while I am not a free speech absolutist … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 27 Comments

A Walk Down Bedford Ave.

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Fenster

Fenster writes: I wrote here about a walk down Moody Street in Waltham, Massachusetts, a half-mile slice of interesting grit and glamour–mostly grit–in the otherwise upscale suburbs west of Boston. It was night time at 5 PM near the shortest … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Commercial art, Personal reflections, Photography | 6 Comments

Ngram of the Day

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Fenster

Fenster writes: Society and culture: From a current day academic point of view society and culture are separate but related concepts. Culture tends to refer to the values and beliefs of a group of people and the material surroundings that … Continue reading →

Posted in Language | Leave a comment

Frank Bruni on Higher Education

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Fenster

Fenster writes: Time for perfesser Fenster to grade Frank Bruni for his essay on higher education in the NYT. I’ll grant him an A in the effective writing department, as always. No typos. No misspellings. Good structure. I’ll give him … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 7 Comments

Systemic Justice at Harvard Law

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Fenster

Fenster writes: Harvard Law is starting something new, which it calls a Systemic Justice project. Here is a write-up from the Boston Globe. What is it? That’s emerging. “None of us really knows what ‘systemic justice’ is—yet you’re all here,” says … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Law | 6 Comments

Linkage

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Fenster

Fenster writes: I take the bus a lot since I have a weekly commute between New York and Boston. The train is to be preferred and there’s the whole romance of the rails thing I know. But dang as I … Continue reading →