New Year’s Resolution Advice from Ben Franklin

The new year symbolizes a chance for new beginnings – a time when people can better themselves.  People declare their resolutions; articles abound with advice to help keep them.  But perhaps the best advice comes from one of the oldest Americans in one of our nation’s oldest texts: Ben Franklin in The Autobiography.  According to … Continue reading →

Conflict with Resolutions

A resolution is, obviously, a story’s ending. Its purpose is to resolve the plot’s conflict(s). But what makes for a good resolution to a story in literature or film? Is it a happy ending? A tragic ending? A definitive ending? A thought-provoking ending? After recently viewing “This is 40,” a friend mentioned that he didn’t … Continue reading →

Poetry for the Average Joe

You’re having an affair with your best friend’s spouse. And then people claim they saw you kill someone, and you can’t give your alibi because it’ll oust your lover. The plot could be one from a soap opera or a movie thriller. But it’s actually the storyline from a Chieftan’s song titled “Long Black Veil” … Continue reading →

Rhetoric: Did Obama defy expectations of audience?

Although Obama is known for his effective rhetorical speaking style, his campaign seems to have defied one of Aristotle’s most basic rhetorical elements: audience. Aristotle first broached the concept of audience with two other elements of rhetoric – speaker and subject – in the 4th century B.C. in the shape of a triangle.  According to … Continue reading →