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Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby in Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of The Great Gatsby. From the latest trailer: http://onfs.net/Wq1Tmo
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This is my collection of hopes, ideas, thoughts, dreams or simply things i like, my little secret of a place where i can express anything i'd like :)
i want to be skinny, and co-own a house on the beach. the fun i will have.
aaayyy gotta work what ya got

subset: commoncrawl


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Comparative Population Studies is a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary scientific journal on demography and population studies, and publishes articles in English and German translations of selected articles will be available in a special selection. CPoS appears four times a year online, and on an open-access basis without submission fees. An average of two special issues per year are coordinated by guest editors. Exclusively unpublished peer-reviewed research papers in demography and related fields are published. Papers may cover a wide range of topics on demography, as well as on population or family studies with a focus on empirical or spatial research, theory, and methods. The journal features articles with a perspective on regional issues emphasizing the German-speaking countries and Europe or on population issues on a global scale. Contributions in English are welcome at all times. Guest editors for special issues may apply as well.
From 2014 onwards, CPoS will appear in English and each year selected German translations will be available in a special selection.
CPoS now supports the VG-WORT METIS registration system for online texts.
CPoS is now OpenAIRE compliant! CPoS offers a comfortable opportunity to fulfill deposit requirements resulting from research grants of the European Research Council or the Seventh Framework Programme.
Recent Special Issues
Vol 38, No 4 (2013): Ageing Populations, Reversing Early Retirement and the Economic Situation of Older People in Modern Societies
Vol 38, No 3 (2013): Private Life Choices, Employment and Health
Vol 38, No 2 (2013): Geographical Mobilities and Family Lives
Pre-published Online Articles
|Linguistic and Neighbourhood Integration among Highly-skilled Migrants – A Quantitative Analysis Using the Example of Foreign University Staff Members in Aachen, Bonn and Cologne
|PDF (English)
|Daniela Imani, Josef Nipper, Günter Thieme
|Scenarios for the Equal Division of Paid and Unpaid Work in the Transition to Parenthood in Germany
|PDF (English) - PDF (Deutsch)
|Anna Dechant, Florian Schulz
Vol 39, No 2 (2014): Coping with Local Challenges of Population Decline and Ageing –
Table of Contents
|Editorial on the special issue "Coping with Local Challenges of Population Decline and Ageing – Case Studies from Germany"
|PDF (English) - PDF (Deutsch)
|Paul Gans, Claus Schlömer
|Internal Migration in Germany, 1995-2010: New Insights into East-West Migration and Re-urbanisation
|PDF (English) | Online Appendix (English)
|Nikola Sander
|Prospects for West German Post-War Single-Family Home Neighbourhoods
Revitalising Housing Stocks as a New Policy Field for Suburban and Rural Municipalities
|PDF (English) - PDF (Deutsch)
|Philipp Zakrzewski, Andrea Berndgen-Kaiser, Runrid Fox-Kämper, Stefan Siedentop
|Adapt and Cope: Strategies for Safeguarding the Quality of Life in a Shrinking Ageing Region
|PDF (English) - PDF (Deutsch)
|Annett Steinführer, Patrick Küpper, Alexandra Tautz
© Federal Institute for Population Research


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What goals will you set for your practice this year? Here are a few suggestions.Add a Comment
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Reflections, Most Recent at Top [Help]
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Blog: TWO WRITING TEACHERS (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: reflections, reflective practice, Add a tag
Blog: TWO WRITING TEACHERS (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: assessment, reflections, reflective practice, self-assessment, Add a tag
One thing I love so much about being an educator is the cyclical nature of the school year. The beginning of the year brings promise, renewed energy, and a certain mania. The middle… Continue readingAdd a Comment
Blog: TWO WRITING TEACHERS (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: assessment, reflections, reflective practice, self-assessment, Add a tag
One thing I love so much about being an educator is the cyclical nature of the school year. The beginning of the year brings promise, renewed energy, and a certain mania. The middle… Continue readingAdd a Comment
Blog: TWO WRITING TEACHERS (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: growth mindset, reflections, writing workshop, Add a tag
Have you ever found yourself in this place? A place where you begin to see something missing and immediately want to change? Be better? I hope so!Add a Comment
Blog: TWO WRITING TEACHERS (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: celebration, publishing, reflections, Add a tag
Beth Moore offers a collection of ten publishing party ideas you can use to celebrate your students' writing.Add a Comment
Blog: TWO WRITING TEACHERS (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: guest blogger, reflections, reflective practice, Add a tag
Dana Murphy shares some thoughts about the expectations we place on students when we ask them to reflect on their writing.Add a Comment
Blog: wellerwishes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Essays, puzzles, Product Art, Reflections, Witches Wardrobe puzzle, Art Licensing, Product Preview, Inspiration, Add a tag
Last week I did something reeeaaally reckless. I pulled out the Witches' Wardrobe 1,0000 piece puzzle that I did for Andrews & Blaine for Barnes & Noble. I put the box on my dining room table, and dumped out the contents. In doing so, I declared war. I had never done the puzzle before, and I've had it for over a year. I've thought about doing it, several times. But...
The honest truth is, it's almost never a "good time" to start a puzzle around here, because I am usually pretty busy. But the larger, bigger reason for this, is because I am simply not a "casual" puzzle person. This is a naked truth I only just confirmed this about myself by doing this puzzle.
In the past, I chalked up my puzzling compulsiveness and conviction with reasonable excuses, such as "I did the art for the puzzle, of course I am going to be a little obsessive about it" or "Who wouldn't get obsessive when putting together a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle that's this detailed?" (Both convincing arguments). Of course there's also my general, um, 'aggressive enthusiasm' for some things, of which puzzles would understandably be included. And then, there is also the "puzzle-obsessed brain" that I think everyone must experience when they are knee-deep in the jungle of a big puzzle. Right? (...right? )
During the time I am in the puzzle haze, I sacrifice, I make the time where possible in my everyday life, to just complete the thing as swiftly as possible. Without losing sleep or missing meals. It's like being completely consumed by a novel you cannot put down. I have to finish it just so I can "get my life back". Okay, I am not a generally uptight individual! But puzzles... they kinda turn me into Tracy Flick. Watershed moment.
And yes, it was fun...
But after my puzzle session on day one (of five total), my earlier "Yay! This is fun!" had melted into a "Hmphh... this one is a bit.. um... tougher than I thought..." which by (past my) bed-time had morphed into "Hmmmm... THAT'S ALL I got done in ONE night??"
"WHY am I doing this, again?
But WHY can't I finish this NOW?
WHY is this puzzle so HARD?
And WHY do I HAVE to FINISH it?!?!"
All the while my brain multi-tasking this whiny conversation with myself with my darting eyeballs searching, searching the puzzle junkyard for a tiny bit of red on a mold-green piece, for a little toe of pink boot, surrounded by grey... Put that one in the pile that makes up the closet door... Oh, wait, there's a separate pile for the closet handle, and one for the front door, and one for the bottom frame... Oh wait the designs are different on each side of the closet... and the four tiny skull's eyeballs all go in different directions... Aaaargh!! Sound like fun? (Oh, quick, before I lose it-- grab the piece with the rat tail's end!)
When I finally finished it, I was euphoric, overjoyed!! (Aaaahhh!! Sigh..) I also took stock of the fact that I once again had climbed my own personal version of Mount Everest and I could be really proud of my accomplishment. On a more general but no less personal note, I also once again experienced the really unique, unusual, authentic mental challenge that only a crazy-insane puzzle can deliver!!
So now, I am already itching (just a tiny, tiny bit) to start my latest. But, at this point I'm pretty sure it's just leftover endorphins... Give me six months, and maybe I'll be ready for another puzzle. :)
Blog: Leslie Ann Clark's Skye Blue Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: dream, God STuff, Inspiring, Kicking Around Thoughts, Reflections, art, bloom, divine, hope, ideas, imagination, self doubt, sweet spot, work, Add a tag
Artists live a life of wonder. At times, it's wondering what to do next. I will not lie, I have been wondering this for the last few months. I am looking for the sweet spot! It's my favorite place to be in Art. It's the place where you are working and you don't want to stop. I think it's a divine place where God kisses your life with ideas that flow out in a steady stream.
A lot of things can bar you from this place. Looking in the wrong direction, self doubt, self pity, self self self. Ha! Get the point? You have to get rid of the"self" part. If the sweet spot is divine, then you have to seek out the divine.
A few nights ago I had a dream. My dad was in the dream. Someone had driven him to my house. He slowly came up the steps to my house and said to me, " Bloom". In a small whisper he said, "bloom where you are planted".
Then he was gone.
I woke up knowing the "divine" had spoken to me.
No grinding out ideas, just let the divine IN me out… to make the art I was born to make.
A flower does not worry about the bloom. All the coding for that bloom is IN the seed. It simply drinks up moisture from above and the roots go down and the bloom comes.
So… BLOOM today! You were meant to be like none other.
Filed under: dream, God STuff, Inspiring, Kicking Around Thoughts, Reflections
Love the ladybug in your drawing!
hee hehe! And I KNOW what you mean!!
Love the artwork!
thank you sweet friend!
the sweet spot is the pot of gold under the rainbow. it's been there all the time and simply asks you to look within to see it.
Blog: Leslie Ann Clark's Skye Blue Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: change, dream, Inspiring, Kicking Around Thoughts, Reflections, Work is Play....?, future, new, power, work, Add a tag
That is the question! The answer is in you. Will you be who you yearn to be in this life? Will you accomplish your dreams? Much of it is up to you.
My neighbor is an example. I met her three years ago. I was so excited to have an artist move in next door! She is a potter and when I visited her she would show me what she was making. She had some really fun pieces.
Last December she agreed to be in a garden show. She was one of two artists that would show their work in a specific garden. She knew she needed to fill the yard so she began in earnest to produce pieces with a garden theme. All winter long the kiln was firing wonderful creations! Colorful pots, bird houses and bird baths began oozing out of her garage. Her work began taking on a personality and a style like no other artist. I saw her grow in her skills.
Last Wednesday was set-up day. We placed her art all over the yard. By the time we finished, the yard look like it was out of a fairy tale! I could see that her pieces told a story. There was color everywhere! We were so excited!
We returned on Saturday for the sale. No sooner did we sit down at our table when the crowd of visitors began forming a line to buy my friends pottery. The line did not stop until the day ended. It was wonderful!!! All of her hard work paid off.
So what is my point? Find what you love and DO it! Find a way! Keep moving in the direction. To be or NOT to be? It's up to you!
Pottery by Juanita Estepa
Filed under: change, dream, Inspiring, Kicking Around Thoughts, Reflections, Work is Play....?
Good for Juanita… She showed what having a goal can do for a person!
Yes!!! She worked so hard!
Blog: TWO WRITING TEACHERS (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: professional development, reflections, reflective practice, the persona of a writer, Write: It's good for you!, writing, Add a tag
Today Deb Gaby and I finished leading the third day of a three-day Foundations of Writing Workshop training. At the end, we asked for reflections. Teacher after teacher commented on the impact of… Read MoreAdd a Comment
Blog: Leslie Ann Clark's Skye Blue Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Reflections, Today was icky, Add a tag
All I really wanted to do today was draw. Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. Some of those things you are not good at, so they take you ALL DAY! Sometimes things go wrong. Then you are sad. … and sometimes you mess up. … and sometimes you do all of that in ONE DAY! Ha!
Goodbye Wednesday. I'm going to bed!
Filed under: Reflections
Thank you for the smiles at the end of my day. It's so true, maybe tomorrow we will find time to draw, and not worry about the things that seem to trip us up.
And here it is! Our brand new day waiting for us! Lets go!
Blog: TWO WRITING TEACHERS (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: reflections, self-assessment, Throwback Thursday, Add a tag
Peruse our past posts about reflective practice and self-assessments students can use at the end of the school year.Add a Comment
Blog: Leslie Ann Clark's Skye Blue Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: God STuff, Kicking Around Thoughts, Reflections, airplane, brave, goals, inspired, N.Y. City, one step at a time, trade show, travel, work, Add a tag
Have you ever started a new chapter in your life? Have you ever dared to do something you never did before? Did you feel launched into it and found yourself in free fall? You are not alone. It happens all the time! Anyone who wants to do something worthwhile in life has to take risks and sometimes those risks lead to even more risks!
When my art career began, I was imagining all the possibilities. I dreamed of success. I created many fun little cartoons and talked about what I wanted to do with them. Then one day, I ran into a friend who was DOING what I wanted to do. She shook me! She said, "Les, you have to go to the N.Y. Stationary Show and you have to go NOW!
I had heard of this show. I had many of my friends online talking about going. This was back in the late 90′s. There was something in her voice. It was more like a command from heaven than a gentle nudging from a friend. I made up my mind to go!
This was huge for me. I had only been on an airplane once for a 45 minute flight. I practically sat on the lap of the man sitting next to me… asking him what this bump was and what THAT bump was! I decided I better pray about this trip. I told the Lord that if HE wanted me to do this then he would have to make the way for me. A few days later someone had put an envelope in my mailbox. It was $300.00. Enough for my flight! It was not long until I was flying across America to New York City. I met up with my girlfriend and stayed with her uncle and aunt. We took buses, rode trains and cabs. Once at the show we had to pedal our portfolios. I am NOT a sales person. … but there I was asking people where their art director was and if I might have a minute with them. Over and over. Hmmm…. it became a little easier each time.
One last company sat down with me. They looked through my whole portfolio and asked if I had anything more? I pulled out one last picture of a little baby. That was it! That was the one the art director liked. She asked me if I had any more and I told her I would email them to her when I got home. You better believe I was sketching babies on the airplane!
This was one of my first "be brave" moments. Over and over the good Lord has taken my by the hand and shown me what to do next. Some would say, "you are weak if you need help for everything." But I say, I am smart for asking.
I have a few more adventures I am yearning for. There will come that day, when the dreaming is over, and the bags all packed and ready to GO!
What are you waiting for? Be Brave!!!!!
Filed under: God STuff, Kicking Around Thoughts, Reflections
Your story is so inspiring. It is such a good reminder to be ready to do something brave when the opportunity shows up! I've been thinking along these lines, so this is good to read.
I'm in this story!!! What a good memory for me. We had so much fun and it turned into an eternal friendship. Loved the inspirational message.
I wondered if you would see that!! Oh what fun we had! Fell in love with your aunt and uncle too! God was so good to us! Two complete novices in the Big Apple!
Blog: Brooklyn Arden (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Reflections, Religion, Quotations, Add a tag
During Lent, the minister of the church I attend sends out daily reflections over e-mail. This is today's, and I think it's wonderful. From The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life, by James Martin:
When I was a novice, one of my spiritual directors quoted the Scottish philosopher John Macmurray, who contrasted "real religion" and "illusory religion." The maxim of "illusory religion" is as follows: "Fear not; trust in God and God will see that none of the things you fear will happen to you." "Real religion," said Macmurray, has a different maxim: "Fear not; the things you are afraid of are quite likely to happen to you, but they are nothing to be afraid of."
Love this--it implies epiphany. It seems that the best realizations are the ones that we resist or that we blind ourselves to through most of the actions of our lives. It may be interesting to think about this in terms of characters too. The first kind has a discursive certainty that flattens everything out and is unearned. The second is full of contradiction and seems closer to truth.
Well...we fear things, in part, because we don't know what the outcome will be. If the things you're afraid of happen, and they don't end well, then you have good reason to fear them.
I don't think the quote disagrees with that, Lisa. Rather, I take Macmurray to be saying that while you might have reason to fear those things, in a wider perspective -- God's perspective -- everything will be taken care of, so there is nothing to fear.
Such a true statement.
A character in a book I've been working on has had to come to grips with that very thing, so I've been thinking on it quite a bit.
Good thought for today. The only way to get rid of fear is to accept you're probably screwed:)
Love your book, by the way. I reread it often.
Middle grade ninja, you may have successfully married all concepts here :\ Though as Cheryl said, it's probably not what the author meant. *laughs weakly*
This quote is so elegantly simple. I've just written it down on a pink index card to give to a friend. This discussion makes me think of the irksome "everything happens for a reason" adage, to which I prefer "everything happens." I would have liked to have met this John Macmurray fellow.
I agree with the statement except that the things we fear are "quite likely" to happen to us. The truth is, most things we fear or worry about don't come to pass. That aside, it interprets what is much truer to Bible teachings in that no one is immune to unforeseen circumstance, but if we trust in God, we will worry less, or if we're REALLY strong--won't worry at all, about how things will turn out in the long run. I do trust that God knows what's best for us and will help (not protect) us through life, but I it's taken many years to be able to more often "Let go and let God..."
Prayer helps us through all circumstances; it may not make the problem easier, but reliance on God does. Other people around us might be suffering so much more, too.
I don't think that everything will be taken care of, unless by everything you mean the salvation of your soul (which is a big deal). In other words, if you accept the Nicean Creed and believe that you have been saved, then what bad things happen to you in this world really aren't that bad, because God has taken care of the most important thing--getting you saved. Put another way, the difference between "real religion" and "illusory religion" highlights the difference between a concern for the material (i.e., what is happening now) versus the spiritual (i.e., what will happen in the final days).
The "real religion" versus "illusory religion" split reminds me of that passage in Huck Finn when Huck points out that praying all week for new fishing gear didn't get him any new fishing gear. When I read that passage, it highlighted why prayer can be unsatisfying.
What a beautiful reflection. Thank you for passing it along. It's just what I needed to read this evening.
This is wonderful. I needed to hear this right now. Thanks for sharing. And thank your pastor too. Hope you and yours have a blessed and happy Easter.
Blog: Brooklyn Arden (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Reading, Writing, Editing, Reflections, Projects, Add a tag
I am finishing out this month of blogging (hooray!) with a theory I've been working on for some time. Last February, thanks to John Green's The Fault in Our Stars -- which I loved intensely and immensely -- I was thinking about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and how it might apply to literary judgments. That is, to use the books within the book of The Fault in Our Stars (which form an important part of the narrative), what makes The Price of Dawn (an action-adventure novel based on a video game) better or worse than An Imperial Affliction (a literary novel about life, love, death, and the existence of God)? Is one better or worse? How do we decide that? And for me, in my real-world daily life: What makes one manuscript better than another on a solely literary basis? To answer these questions, I hereby present, as a hypothesis up for discussion, the Klein Pyramid of Literary Quality:
(My original sketch of the pyramid above; much more readable version created by the kind Ed DeCaria.) To take these from the bottom (lowest level) up:
1. COMPLETION. The literary work is complete. (Lots of writers never even get here -- a completed manuscript -- so truly, this counts for something.)
2. COMPETENCE. The literary work is readable and understandable by a reader who is not the author.
3. CHARISMA. The literary work is able to make you feel the emotion the writer intends you-the-reader to feel, so well as that intention can be discerned. (While the subject of intention is clearly nebulous and much debated, I feel as if it is safe to say Pride and Prejudice is intended to make a reader laugh, for example, while Pet Sematary is intended to scare us, and any romance novel is intended to make readers fall in love along with the characters.)
3. QUALITY. The literary work displays some measure of imagination, originality, and/or accomplishment in at least once of these areas: Prose, Character, Plot. Ideally, all three aspects of the Quality triangle will work together to contribute to the book's Charisma or Questioning or both.
3. QUESTIONING. The literary work intentionally asks and answers questions about our human existence. (See above for caveats on intention.)
4. CONSONANCE. The literary work successfully integrates all of the above into a meaningful and beautiful whole. Consonance books are masterpieces.
How to Use This Pyramid: To measure the literary quality of the work, you fill in all the triangles/trapezoids the particular work has achieved according to you, the reader. The darker the pyramid, the better the book is. A book must have all of the triangles/trapezoids of the previous level filled in to advance to the next level. Thus, for me, The Fault in Our Stars would be one solid dark triangle, because I think it does everything well, up to and including Consonance. But Twilight would be a dark trapezoid at the bottom (Levels 1 and 2) with just the Charisma triangle filled in above it, as it totally caught me up in the feelings of falling in love, even as I was not overly impressed by any of its Quality attributes, and I don't think Ms. Meyer especially intended to Question anything. An intensely didactic picture book might fill in Levels 1 and 2 but then have only the Questioning triangle complete, as it's asking how we should live and then answering that question, but with no emotional appeal (Charisma) at all.
Each judgment would be peculiar to its reader and the date s/he read the work, as opinions vary widely and can change over time; but that is where half the fun of literary discussion comes in, as one reader might say "Oh, this book was totally Charismatic for me!" and another would sniff, "Hmph. It barely achieved Competence!" The more widely it is agreed a book fills up the pyramid, the closer to classic status it moves in the public eye. And this pyramid has nothing to do with sales or other financial success; it is for aesthetic judgments only.
There are two more concepts that I've puzzled over whether and how to include in the pyramid: the ideas of Pleasure and Ethics. Gone with the Wind, for instance, would have earned Consonance from me when I read it in seventh grade, and it Pleased me intensely at the time, but it's also a book rife with racial stereotypes; should it then not be allowed to achieve Consonance in my judgment, because its Ethics are bad? Or Waiting for Godot is likewise Consonant for me, but I hated reading it (I've never seen it staged): Can it then not be Consonant because I didn't take Pleasure in it? (I guess there was some Pleasure in recognizing the mastery of the construction, how completely the Quality of its plot, characters, and prose contributed to the Questioning and Charisma it wanted to achieve; but none of that really made up for my desire for someone to move, dammit.) (Also, clearly, I would have to come up with synonyms for "Pleasure" and "Ethics" that start with K sounds.)
What do you think? Are there categories I've left out that should be included in any future revision to the Pyramid? Would YOU include Pleasure and/or Ethics, and how, and what would you call them? What books have you read this year that you would call Consonant and why?
I would be delighted to hear thoughts here! And thanks to anyone who's stuck around and read my posts through all of this month; I've really enjoyed the writing of them, and appreciate your attention.
Very nice. I think I will use your pyramid when I rate books from now on. I've often wondered what it is about a book that makes me want to award it five stars, over the four-star books that are also very good. I think you've hit it with "consonance" - and like you said, whether a book achieves it or not varies from reader to reader.
Hmm, these are pretty good. If I had to include a category in the pyramid, it'd be to maybe incorporate pleasure or "Captivation" somewhere between Charisma and Quality as you've suggested. Does the story "hook" me and make me want to carry the book around with me to appointments, etc. When I finished reading Andrea Cremer's NIGHTSHADE series this past year for example, like other great stories, I remember feeling chagrined that the saga came to end. I was totally immersed in the story. To have earned Consonance-status like Pride and Prej and/or Gone with the Wind, there should also be that bittersweet emotion that washes over you as everything is conlcuding, unless you re-read a story -- which I have on occasion :)
Maybe the ethics is an undoing step where questions are posed and if the answer is yes, you overlay a white triangle or two or three...
I would add 'sensibility' -- that is, the evidence, conveyed in the descriptions, the thought processes of the characters and the general structure of the manuscript of a unique and fascinating intelligence, with an original, perhaps even a jaundiced view of human nature and the world. For me, this is the most significant pleasure in reading a novel, short story or memoir, this immersion in someone else's world view and style of thought.
When William Faulkner describes a rainbow in terms of the rain as "the chromatic arch of its insubstantial armistice"; when Somerset Maugham inform us that "Most people resent us when they treat us badly. Alroy Kear was too big-hearted for such pettiness. He could treat you very shabbily indeed without bearing you afterward the least ill will."; when Hemingway says "In Paris in the spring, the only problem was where to be happiest and if you could avoid making appointments the days had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness, except those few who were as good as the spring itself." ... when I read such sentences, I'm experiencing more than a good book. I'm actively engaged with an extraordinary person I could never meet any other way.
I love, love, love this pyramid. It makes so much of your considerations as an editor make sense to writers. It also brings at least some logical solution to personal subjectivity. For instance, I love Godot but am in comparison equally put off by Austen. (Sorry, it's not personal. I try and try to like that stuff. I just can't.) But the pyramid allows for these differences and compensates for them. THIS WAS SUCH A COOL POST!
Love this! What a great way for writers to measure their work as well.
The use of a "captivation" module would work, but I don't think you necessarily need it. The engrossing pleasure I hope to find in a book is part of that book's charisma. My suggestion is to bi-sect your charisma triangle to represent the charismatic intentions of the author and how well they're achieved, as well as how much the reader enjoys the resulting story.
As far as ethics, IMO that seems like a lose-lose item to consider. Projecting current day and Western ethical ideals onto books that were written in places or at times without those feels artificial and didactic. Perhaps, the second half of the charisma triangle would take care of this, recognizing the extraordinary task of an author rendering an unethical character/situation in a captivating manner.
I see that you saved the best for last :) I've really enjoyed reading your posts.
Like Amy up above said, we do this unconsciously when we rate books ...
Your diagram is wonderful. I would add resonance right up there with consonance, or even above. I use it in the sense as it is defined in physics, in that the resonant frequency amplifies the basal freq. So what we couldn't articulate before (nebulous ideas, beliefs, etc.) suddenly become crystal clear when you read great works.
This is interesting! Thank you for sharing it. I look forward to using it to help analyze why I enjoy (or don't enjoy) certain books.
And I think you're right, Ethics and Pleasure must certainly come into account somewhere. For me anyway, both play a huge role in determining how I feel about everything I read.
Maybe you can refer to Ethics as Conscience? Does the story strive to do right by everyone it mentions, or are such matters ignored?
What a terrific post! This is a neat topic to think about.
I like the idea of "resonance." And while I agree that projecting current ethical standards to works written in another time and place can be problematic, I also think we *can't* ignore those ethics. The Secret Garden and The Taming of the Shrew are both examples of books that reflect the ethics of the culture that produced them, but (to me) are strong enough that, when I read them now, I can both enjoy the story while being cognizant of/considering the issues of race, class, and gender that they include. The Little House books and Gone With The Wind, to me, don't transcend the ethical issues I have with them, much as I enjoyed them in the past. I am not sure what the difference is...I need to give more thought to this!
To me, also, high quality works make me see the world in a new way - this is related to "Questioning" but a bit different, I think. Maybe "Resonance" includes it? I've been trying but failing to think of a catch-all term.
Thanks for the month of posts, Cheryl - I've really enjoyed them!
Oh, this is wonderful. From my perspective, 'Self-Actualization' incorporates a notion of 'Self' that includes the 'Other' in a holistic way, and so it's not just the literary work that is up for examination. In the relationships between author and reader, we must also include the packaging. Perhaps the book cover that bears the author's name should also show consonance.
I love this post and the Klein pyramid! I thought a lot about how I make literary judgments earlier this summer, when NPR invited people to vote on the "best-ever teen novels." I struggled to figure out what criteria to use (your pyramid certainly would have helped me), and I wasn't sure how to factor in how much a book engaged me versus how much I admire the literary quality, because my engagement and admiration don't always go hand in hand.
I think I subconsciously consider charisma, questioning, and consonance as I evaluate books I read and decide which books to recommend to my middle school English students or include in my curriculum, and I love the way you have articulated those three concepts. Maybe ethics can somehow fit into consonance (and therefore you, as an adult, might not give GONE WITH THE WIND consonance even though you would have as a younger reader), and the idea of resonance that some people have mentioned may be an extension of questioning? But I do like the idea of leaving room for pleasure (and maybe calling it "captivation," as Tuere suggested, so it matches up sound-wise) at the top of the pyramid.
Love it and will use it.
The Fault in Our Stars arrived in my reading queue the week I came back from Amsterdam this summer. I can't remember the last time I was as swept up in a story as I was with Hazel Grace's. Long after I turned the last page, I remain haunted by the revelation that what she wanted most was to know her mother's life would go on.
Thanks for the great posts this month. I love Klein's pyramid and look forward to seeing you in October for your workshop!
I agree with Vijaya. I think "resonance" is essential to add. When all the parts of the triangle resonate with us, we have that special book or what is a masterpiece to that reader. Wonder and Middlesex were the most recent books I've read that I consider to have it all. As always, thanks for your thoughtful posts which help the literary community understand more about writing, editing, and books.
I like the pyramid a lot and don't think you need to add ethics or pleasure. You've got those covered. If the book isn't pleasurable, then it ought not rate highly in charisma. If it stereotypes race, it should get a lower mark in quality characters. If the characters do nothing, the book should be dinged for a less than top quality plot.
For some reason, I've always liked pyramids as thinking tools. This is a neat one for analyzing the books we read (or write), and it's flexible enough to cover a lot of possibilities. I especially like your emphasis on questions rather than themes.
We'd probably all agree that in a really great book, that "whole" you describe as consonance is far greater than the sum of its parts and can't really be said as well in any other words.
It's been great reading these posts! I love this pyramid. It's a great tool to measure our own work and also other work we read. I don't think you need to add ethics, but pleasure (or contentment--for your K sound) would be a good addition. I'd put it right below consonance. For me it's all about how the book made me feel in the end. If everything you have in the pyramid works together, the end result is a pleasurable read and I'm content when it ends (though if it's a series, I'm excited for the next installment). If not, I feel like I've wasted my time reading (and time is a valuable commodity). So my vote is for contentment. ;-)
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Loving the Cherymid. You describe Consonance as integration, which makes me think of the line that the greatest art is to make any art look easy. Instead of integration, I would put Transcendence at the top. A great book gives me something I didn't even know I needed. It tells me something new and unexpected about myself and the world.
This is a wonderful tool for authors aiming for that higher pinnacle. Obviously, as you pointed out where "Twilight" might fit, you don't *have* to hit the highs to have a commercial success. But, if it's a matter of pride in your work for years to come, then the upper levels are not bad things for a writer to keep in mind (and there's no reason the "lows" of genre fiction (of which I am a big fan) can't hit these highs, either).
i think this is a fairly clear layout of what makes a work of fiction "work" and would loved to see this offered up for discussion in classrooms. teens especially would benefit from a very concrete understanding about how some books are better quality and why others (especially those they "love" which fall short on the pyramid) are sub-par and derided by teachers.
as for the ethics and pleasure question, could these not be like interchangeable elements with charisma or questioning, so long as the book has all other elements in place? it would be a shame to have such a hard and fast delineation between a good, solid book that might supplant reader-pleasure (genre fiction in particular) because it didn't fully achieve charisma or questioning. and isn't it the experience the reader brings to the book that might define whether these elements are present?
i may come back to this and second-guess these thoughts - my ice cream hangover from last night might be clouding my thinking - but as it stands, what an excellent tool you've created.
I wrote my thesis on Narnia & Harry Potter using Maslow's pyramid!
This is so helpful to a teacher of writing! Anything graphic is really, really effective.
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I hesitate to write this blog post. Yet it needs written. Maybe for you or for the teacher next door. Definitely for me. This week I've had too many conversations with teachers who… Read MoreAdd a Comment
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Here's the thing: I'm not really the kind of person who follows authors around and gets their signatures and takes photos with them. In fact, I'm rather shy when it comes to this… Read MoreAdd a Comment
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Rest. Why does this seem like a dirty four letter word? I've been doing a lot of thinking about rest. We were on fall break last week. You might think I took rest… Read MoreAdd a Comment
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Rest. Why does this seem like a dirty four letter word? I've been doing a lot of thinking about rest. We were on fall break last week. You might think I took rest… Read MoreAdd a Comment
Blog: Brooklyn Arden (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Katha Pollitt, a critic, feminist, activist, and liberal who I greatly respect and admire, posted this on Twitter this morning:
Half of laity members who voted against women bishops in Anglican church were women. http://tinyurl.com/btqdsukAnd I wanted to say, "Sister, please." Because that "#slavementality" hashtag reflects a fundamental misunderstanding -- or perhaps better put, a fundamental willful blindness -- on the part of my fellow liberals about the way that my fellow people of religion or faith sometimes think or behave . . . and in particular, a willful blindness by my co-feminists toward women who make choices that don't advance the cause.
Those women who voted against women bishops were quite likely ladies who read 1 Timothy 2:12* literally and who find that more important or compelling than their own rights. This is a perfectly valid way to think and behave in the private sphere. It may not be the way we feminists personally would interpret Scripture or vote -- but other people's religious beliefs aren't any of our business, and liberals have fought long and hard to make sure everyone's religious beliefs stay their private business and don't come into the public sphere.
All of this goes ditto for women who vote, based on religious grounds, for a candidate who opposes abortion rights**. That does come into the public sphere, as those women's choice of a candidate can influence all women's choices about life and death, literally. But that's still a valid belief and choice, and the work of those who support abortion rights then is to argue better and either change their minds or convince other people to outvote them. Same goes for the Anglican vote: The work lies not in insults, but in a more wide-ranging theological discussion that might open up these women's minds, if they're willing to go there (which they may not be). It's complex and hard, but not cheap, as Ms. Pollitt's comment felt to me.
[A side note if you're interested in issues of Biblical literalism and religious mind-changing: The New Yorker from November 26 has a terrific, thoughtful, even-handed profile of Rob Bell, the founder of Mars Hill church, and his journey from strict evangelical to someone still faithful but rather more nebulous in religious definition.]
Feminism is, or should be, nothing more and nothing less than the fight for the rights of women to maximize their personal choices and opportunities within a culture that often represses them -- including those choices and opportunities some feminists might disagree with, such as those that reinforce the repressive culture. Calling those women who make different choices idiots does not advance the cause here, and I wished we did it less and argued for complexity more.
* "I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet," as quoted in the New Yorker article.
** I should note that my own feelings about abortion are extremely squooshy, so I will not argue it one way or another, nor do I welcome arguments about it in the comments (goodness, no).
Beautifully put fellow liberal, feminist, person-of-faith!
Thank you for this. Politics, traffic jams, schoolyards, and The Internet would all be so much nicer and more interesting if Some People could embrace the complexity of Other People. Seconding that "sister, please" (though a big fangirly fan of Katha Pollitt).
Well said. I'd also like to add that voting for women simply because they're women isn't always the right choice. Ann Coulter and Cokie Roberts are both female political pundits, but I'd be willing to bet Ms. Pollitt might have a problem voting for one of them regardless of her gender.
You know what? I misread the original Twitter post. And while I stand by my statement, I acknowledge that it doesn't apply to this situation. Mea culpa.
Interesting. I admit I have not given this much thought and I do not have any stake or axe to grind. I do have a question. People who say they take scripture literally or strictly confuse me. The scriptures they choose to follow to the letter vary and, on some issues, the Bible changes its stance (like slavery and treatment of slaves). So, this is an honest question: how does one react to someone who takes some scriptures word-for-word, but ignore lots of others? I ask this as someone with friends who tend to be much more conservative and religious, and I am trying to understand their position, which they cannot always articulate. I am trying to get in their shoes a bit and understand.
Interesting viewpoint put forth.
My views on abortion are somewhat squishy (pro-life except in certain instances, and if the woman is going to have one, I believe that the man should be involved with the end result as well) but I will say it's refreshing to read a balanced/non-rigid response to this particular hot button issue.
I so appreciate you speaking up like you do. We liberal-people-of-faith really need to speak up more often! I love the way Catherine says it above, "embrace the complexity of Other People."
Enjoyed this, the more because I was holding a Rob Bell bk (Jesus Wants to Save Christians) while checking email, where I found your post. Am supposed to be reading a chapter for a study group. Will get my chapter read, but this gives me something extra to bring to that meeting today.
Great post, Cheryl.
Have you listened to This American Life's story on Carlton Pearson? (http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/304/heretics/) It's an amazing story of a pastor who, like Bell, comes to the conclusion that Hell doesn't fit into his understanding of God. He loses his church and many of his friends, but emerges with a new life that feels more full of love.
I find all of the above thought provoking and I firmly believe in the right of everyone to make their own decisions. But I do have one question: was Timothy "talking" or was it God? Makes a big difference.
Very well put, Cheryl. Everyone has a right to their opinion- its one of the fundamentals of a true democracy. It's often so difficult for people of faith and people not of faith to understand and therefore respect each other- posts like this is exactly what's needed to form the bridge. Thanks for posting.
Thank you, Cheryl. It's important for we-who-consider-ourselves-faithful to speak up, lest it appear that all people of faith have identical political views - or that God is a member of any particular party!
@Pat - actually the writer/speaker in Timothy is Paul. . . just to complicate your point.
Bless this post.
What a great post. You have so many good points. Everyone should be able to make their own decisions. I use a web content filter when I browse so I can only read certain material. I look forward to reading more from your blog! :)
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It's one of those days. You know, where you wonder if you really want to keep doing this? It's one of those days. You know, where you are positive you are doing exactly… Read MoreAdd a Comment
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One of the lines from the Voices Strong class mantra, taught by Christy Rush-Levine is Write Unapologetically. I love these two words side-by-side standing for genuine marks on the page. Today, I planned… Read MoreAdd a Comment
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Lord, I love Zadie Smith's essays, like this wonderful piece in last week's New Yorker on Joni Mitchell, changing artistic tastes, changing selves, and artistic continuity:
Who could have understood Abraham? He is discontinuous with himself. The girl who hated Joni and the woman who loves her seem to me similarly divorced from each other, two people who happen to have shared the same body. It's the feeling we get sometimes when we find a diary we wrote, as teenagers, or sit at dinner listening to an old friend tell some story about us of which we have no memory. It's an everyday sensation for most of us, yet it proves a tricky sort of problem for those people who hope to make art. For though we know and recognize discontinuity in our own lives, when it comes to art we are deeply committed to the idea of continuity. I find myself to be radically discontinuous with myself -- but how does one re-create this principle in fiction? What is a character if not a continuous, consistent personality? If you put Abraham in a novel, a lot of people who throw that novel across the room. What's his motivation? How can he love his son and yet be prepared to kill him? Abraham is offensive to us. It is by reading and watching consistent people on the page, stage, and screen that we are reassured of our own consistency.This made me think of the fact that often the moments I love most in fiction or film are the moments where a character does something that is seemingly inconsistent with his or her outward character, but completely consistent with his or her inward self, which we've glimpsed throughout the proceedings . . . a sacrifice, an unexpectedly marvelous dance, a moment of honesty or tenderness they weren't capable of at the beginning. It is often the revelation of that character's strength through the demonstration of their vulnerability, and it shows us layers, dimensions, complexity, reality, all the things I like best.
That said, I disagree a little with the last few sentences of the paragraph I quote above because I don't find Abraham inconsistent at all; his obedience to his god simply outranks his love for his son, which could certainly be found offensive if you disagree with those rankings, but which is not a matter of discontinuity. And I think I like watching consistent fictional people not because I am like them, but because their dependability, the cleanliness of their consistency, anchors and comforts me in my own wild ups and downs. One of the great joys of fiction is that it can be neater than life; the best fiction either organizes the reader's emotions completely, I think, or just barely manages the messiness of reality.
Agree? Disagree? In my inconstancy, I'm open to persuasion.
Finally, this essay also reminded me of this extraordinary version of "Both Sides Now" -- made famous in the Emma Thompson weeping scene in "Love, Actually" -- which almost makes me cry every time I hear it with its texture of pain and wisdom. It is worth stopping what you're doing to breathe and to listen:
I'm good at guessing plots, so I especially enjoy being surprised in a way where the ending was inevitable (but I didn't see it coming). I love it when everything clicks into place.
Oh, and I agree with your assessment of Abraham. By the time he's asked to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham has come to trust the providence of God. God Himself will provide, he said to Isaac.
Cheryl, I just happened to pop onto Twitter and saw this link :) I was thinking the same thing about Abraham's consistency because I couldn't see why she considered him INconsistent.
And Joni Mitchell is an amazing talent. I became a fan when I was young, back in the late 70s. I have the vinyls (all quite scratchy) of "Clouds," "Hejira," and the vinyls AND CDs of my favorites: "Blue," and "Court and Spark."
Btw, 'cause you wouldn't know, I'm the one who helped you sell your WONderful book, SECOND SIGHT, at NJ SCBWI's 2011 Craft Day and enjoyed sitting by you at dinner. Kathy told me you finally discovered, in a pile of mail, the bookmarks I made you. I'm glad you liked them :) I made one for myself which resides in your book :) Thanks for the fantastic insight. I think all writers should own it!
A perfect and fascinating choice to play this relatively recent version of BOTH SIDES NOW in a post about consistency. How amazing that Joni Mitchell could write that song when she was so young! A song that confesses a world-weariness that is utterly convincing. But how different it sounds in the lower, smoke-ravaged version of Joni Mitchell's voice, beautiful in its own way, but a completely different instrument than the one she used to command.
Blog: Leslie Ann Clark's Skye Blue Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Oh little Peepsqueak. This picture of you reminds me of something that happened to me when I was little. We were visiting an aunt in Washington. She had a rope that dangled from a tree in her backyard. She also had a big DOG that came running into the yard barking at ME! I jumped on that rope and UP, UP, UP I went! I did not even know I could climb a rope! I just did it! ha ha!
Most of my art comes from my imagination, but it is also from my memories and from my life experiences. All that being said, I think I can still climb a rope!
Filed under: My Characters, Peepsqueak!, Reflections
This picture reminded me of a time when I was about 11 years old. We used to go to a local "pond" and there was a big old oak on the bank which had a rope hanging from it. We would run, jump "tarzan style" onto the rope and swing out over the pond – letting go as we swung out and taking a "flying leap" into the water. One Sunday afternoon, I ran from the car, jumped for the rope – grabbing it with both hands and – BANG !!! My head hit the tree and left a scar which I still have in my temple until this very day. I had not noticed that someone had wrapped the rope around the tree one time – it was not hanging free. As I swung out – I actually flew in a circle, right back into the tree trunk!
oh no! Owch! I can just picture that!!!!! haha!
Blog: Leslie Ann Clark's Skye Blue Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Come February, without fail, I begin to feel the effects of Spring Fever. My tulips are peeking out, our trees are budding, and my heart begins pining away for warm weather. THEN it SNOWS 8 inches! haha!
There is no complaining on my part. Colorado needs the moisture! Like Peepsqueak, (above) I put on my coat and scarf and set off in our winter wonderland. Spring will arrive as it alway does, but there are sidewalks to shovel and a wood stove to load and lots of indoor activities to keep me busy until snow gives way to rain and flowers.
Filed under: Peepsqueak!, Reflections
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A Vet Center's group therapy treatment program for African-American veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has met regularly and expanded since it was established in 1984. Program attributes described by participants as particularly helpful include facilitating open communication of thoughts and feelings among African-American men; providing support for coping with the intrapsychic, social, and economic effects of racism; increasing knowledge about the causes, consequences, and treatment of PTSD; and decreasing emotional and social isolation. The program appears to be a useful treatment for African-American veterans with PTSD.
It became apparent in the early 1980s to the team leader (the first author) of the Seattle Veterans Readjustment Counseling Center—a Vet Center (1)—that African-American veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were underrepresented in Veterans Administration (VA) treatment programs. As both a psychotherapist and an African-American Vietnam combat veteran, he recognized that the legacy of racism and cultural differences between African-Americans and Caucasians often created barriers that interfered with effective participation by African-American veterans in PTSD treatment programs in which Caucasians were in the majority. In response he developed a group therapy program for African-American veterans with PTSD.
One hundred fifty-three African-American veterans have participated for at least six months in the African-American PTSD treatment program in Seattle since its inception in 1984. In most cases PTSD resulted from combat trauma. In some instances it resulted from life-threatening racial abuse encountered in the military or a combination of combat trauma and racial abuse trauma. Three veterans have been active members of the program since its inception. Another 12 have been active members for at least five years. In 1998 the program had 38 active members (defined as attending at least 12 meetings during the year). The mean±SD number of members attending the group was 17±8 (range, 9 to 23).
The program has provided weekly group psychotherapy sessions since 1984. In 1995 the program expanded to include a second, geographically separate psychotherapy group for African-American veterans in Tacoma, Washington. This report describes only the format and experience of the Seattle group.
Inclusion criteria are a diagnosis of PTSD and self-identification as an African American. Exclusion criteria are schizophrenia, acute mania, or inability to maintain sobriety on the day of the weekly group meeting. Participants remain group members as long as they wish. Although regular group attendance is encouraged, it is not mandatory. A sense of continuity and connectedness with other group members is fostered by a group phone tree, a listing of all members' telephone numbers that is updated monthly. Members are encouraged to call one another whenever they feel the need for support or information. Supportive psychotherapy focusing on current problems is the major therapeutic approach. However, trauma-focused therapy and psychoeducation are employed as appropriate.
Three of the authors (LJ, DB, and MR), each of whom had been a group cotherapist for at least one year, determined by consensus which aspects of the program group members had consistently described as specifically helpful. They also reached consensus on which aspects of Caucasian-majority group therapy programs that members had frequently described as creating barriers to successful participation by African-American veterans.
Participants reported that both their verbal and nonverbal communications usually were accurately understood by other members of the African-American group, and that they were comfortable expressing honestly their thoughts, beliefs, and feelings in this setting. In contrast, in Caucasian-majority groups they frequently felt misunderstood. Linguistic style, speech structure, slang, metaphors, and nonverbal communication that were clearly understood among African Americans had often appeared incomprehensible to many Caucasians. African-American veterans participating in groups with a Caucasian majority found themselves "wearing the mask" (2) to keep private their inner thoughts, feelings, and beliefs.
Support for dealing with the intrapsychic pain caused by racism and developing more effective methods of coping with the social and economic consequences of racism were frequently cited as uniquely positive aspects of the African-American program. Most of the veterans in the Puget Sound program had been born and raised in the legally segregated and explicitly racist society that characterized the Southern United States until—and often after—passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1963.
Racism was problematic for veterans during and after military service. For African-American veterans of the officially segregated army of the World War II era, racism in the military was clear. Although the military was integrated in 1948, and in Korea and Vietnam racial tension tended to dissipate temporarily in combat, relations between African-American and Caucasian troops reflected racial tensions at home and were particularly strained in more secure rear-area base camps (3). The experience of being treated as second-class citizens at home after risking life and limb on a foreign battlefield produced additional anger and alienation.
Participants in the African-American group felt that in the group setting, sharing the anger and humiliation resulting from racism would be understood empathically and accepted as valid. In some instances feedback from other group members suggested that the veteran may have interpreted an event or interaction in daily life as racist when other interpretations were possible. Such feedback from another African American could be taken at face value but from a Caucasian would likely be taken as an insensitive affront.
In contrast, veterans in the African-American group rarely felt comfortable discussing racism in Caucasian-majority groups. Attempts to discuss racism in such groups had frequently elicited an embarrassed silence, a changing of the topic, or implications that the African-American veteran was paranoid or exaggerating.
Shared cultural identity also facilitated discussion of controversial issues within the African-American community, such as street violence, family instability, and children enmeshed in drug addiction. Although such issues are relevant to many veterans and nonveterans regardless of ethnic origin, African Americans often felt that discussing such issues in Caucasian-majority settings would reinforce negative stereotypes of African Americans and their community.
The African-American treatment program provided valuable information about PTSD and its treatment. Most participants had suffered symptoms of PTSD for decades—bewildering and distressing nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, low anger threshold, emotional numbing, isolation, and other symptoms. The group program made clear that the participants were suffering from a treatable psychiatric illness and that behavioral and pharmacologic treatment modalities, as well as the group process itself, could help alleviate PTSD symptoms. Emotional numbing, isolation, avoidance, and low anger threshold appeared particularly responsive to the group process.
Many members had become isolated even within the African-American community before joining the group. Once a new member had attended several group sessions, he usually reported feeling more comfortable within the group than he had been in any social setting for many years. Being among veterans who understood combat trauma-induced PTSD and who also were African American created an atmosphere in which mutually supportive friendships could develop and carry over into daily life. Of course not all relationships within the group were equally positive. However, the group provided a safe setting in which participants could explore differences and conflicts between them.
This is the first description of a long-term group therapy program for African-American veterans with PTSD. The longevity, growth, and vitality of the program and the enthusiasm with which group members have promoted the program to other veterans in the African-American community provide face validity for efficacy. Many members reported that symptomatic exacerbations of PTSD that previously would have prompted inpatient hospitalization had been successfully managed on an outpatient basis with the help of the group.
That this program often was described as more beneficial than traditional PTSD treatment programs does not imply that African-American veterans do not have access to or do not obtain benefit from other VA medical center and Vet Center PTSD programs. In a quantitative analysis of mental health service use by minority Vietnam-era veterans (4), no differences were found among ethnocultural groups in overall use of VA mental health services. An outcome analysis of VA treatment programs for acute PTSD revealed no major effects of ethnic origin on treatment outcome (5). However, an analysis of effects of clinician-veteran racial pairing in VA treatment programs for PTSD demonstrated that African-American veterans had less satisfactory program participation than Caucasian veterans regardless of clinician ethnicity (6).
Participation in the African-American group appeared actually to enhance several members' ability to profit from participation in concomitant Caucasian-majority VA treatment programs as well as their ability to work within these programs to make them more responsive to the needs of minority veterans. The support of the African-American group appeared to enable these veterans to participate more openly and assertively in Caucasian-majority therapy groups and other treatment programs.
This program addresses many of the issues proposed by others as important for successful psychotherapy for African Americans in general and for African-American veterans with PTSD in particular (2,3,7,8,9). Providing a setting in which African-American veterans can interact openly and honestly and can develop group cohesiveness creates the type of milieu considered essential for long-term group psychotherapy to succeed (10).
The program provides a forum in which the intrapsychic and environmental effects of racism can be constructively addressed. Group members can relate to and empathize not only with each other's experiences as combat veterans but also with their experiences as African Americans growing up and living in an often hostile society. This African-American group therapy program appears to be a valuable treatment option for African-American veterans who have PTSD. Systematic evaluations are necessary to confirm the efficacy of this treatment approach.
Mr. Jones is a therapist and Ms. Brazel is a mental health nurse practitioner in the mental health service of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle. Dr. Peskind is associate director and Dr. Raskind is executive director of the Northwest Network Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System. Dr. Morelli is a staff psychiatrist at University of Hawaii in Honolulu. Send correspondence to Dr. Raskind, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Mental Health Service (S-116), 1660 South Columbian Way, Seattle, Washington 98108 (e-mail, email@example.com). A version of this paper was presented at the fourth African-American Conference on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder held September 13, 1999, in Washington, D.C.
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The City of Pittsburgh requires that all youth association volunteer coaches and
managers obtain Act 33 and 34 clearances as a condition of obtaining field permits. If you are planning to be rostered as a coach or manager for the current season, please apply for
Act 33 and 34 clearances. If your existing Act 33/34 clearances are more than two years old, they are no longer valid for this purpose. In light of the new Act 33/34 requirement,
coaches do not need to apply for or renew a clearance from the PA West Soccer Association. Questions
should be directed to the relevant league commissioner.
1. Act 34 criminal clearance, from PA State Police:
Apply online at https://epatch.state.pa.us/Home.jsp and print the results.
There are two advantages to applying online: 1) payment is by credit card, not money order and 2) processing time is cut by
as much as four weeks. The paper application form is available at http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/ucmprd/groups/webcontent/documents/form/s_001769.pdf
2. Act 33 child abuse history clearance, from
PA Department of Public Welfare:
Complete the Act 33 application, which can be found at http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/ucmprd/groups/webcontent/documents/form/s_001762.pdf and check the
Volunteer option as the reason.
[3/4/14: Link broken? Download the Act 33 application from
Attach one copy of your Act 34 clearance to the completed application. Retain a second copy to be submitted to Pittsburgh
The Act 33 clearance application must be submitted to the PA DPW by U.S. mail and paid for with a money order.
Money orders can be purchased for a $ .99 fee at any Giant Eagle customer service desk.
3. Provide both the Act 33 and Act 34 clearances to Dynamo at firstname.lastname@example.com or
Pittsburgh Dynamo Youth Soccer
P.O. Box 8217
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Dynamo Rec will reimburse coaching volunteers for the cost of the two clearances and any fees resulting from the purchase of the required money
order(s). RECEIPTS ARE REQUIRED FOR REIMBURSEMENT.
4. Dynamo will maintain a file of all volunteer Act 33/34 clearances so that these clearances can be
presented to the City of Pittsburgh upon request.
Please feel free to redact the first five digits of your Social Security number from the Act 34 certificate before submitting a copy to Dynamo. Your
Act 33 clearance should have the first five digits of the Social Security number redacted already. If by chance your Act 33 clearance reports your full Social Security number, feel
free to redact that document as well.
PA WEST CLEARANCE INFO (no longer required as of 1/2013):
All coaches (recreation and travel league) and travel league team managers are required to submit their information for background clearance through the PA West
PA West Coaches Clearance
Recreation League:
Dynamo will pay the fee from the club's account with PA-West. If PA-West inadvertently sends you a payment reminder, please forward the email to firstname.lastname@example.com
Travel League:
Complete all information on the secure PA West site. Make sure to select PghDynamo as your affiliation and stop when you are asked for payment information. Make
sure to save the PAW number. Dynamo will pay for your clearance.
This clearance is valid for a 2 year period from the submission date. In the menu of club names, we are listed as "Pgh Dynamo." If you already have other official current child
worker clearance (such as Act 33/34), copies will have to be submitted to your league commissioner. Dynamo will pay the fee from an account we have with PA-West. Please select "Pay
by Check" as your payment option. If PA-West inadvertently sends you a payment reminder, please forward the email to firstname.lastname@example.com


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If you're like us, you don't give a lot of money to charities like Make-A-Wish, but you do give a lot of money to restaurants that put food in your belly. And maybe, hypothetically, you'd like to do both. If so, Maggiano's Little Italy is here to help make your wishof making the wishes of sick kids come true while eating delicious Italian foodcome true. The chefs at Maggiano's have developed four special menu items just for the occasion, and for each Goat Cheese and Olive Bruschetta, Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb, Shrimp and Scallops with Orzo and Fresh Berry Tiramisu you order, the restaurant will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Eat-A-Dish for Make-A-Wish wish-making continues through June 27 at Maggiano's Northpark, 8687 N. Central Expressway. Call 214-360-9061 or visit maggianos.com.
June 1-27


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Leaver & Gardner Orthodontics can give you a smile you're happy to show off. Modern orthodontic techniques make it easier than ever for you to have a beautiful, straight smile. Our practice utilizes today's latest orthodontic advances in order to provide you with the most comfortable and efficient treatment possible. Our Las Vegas orthodontists provide exceptional quality care in a family-oriented, professional environment.
- As a patient of Drs. Scott Leaver and Michael Gardner, you can expect to receive personalized, one-on-one attention at every visit.
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- We offer traditional metal braces as well was surgical orthodontics and Damon® System braces.
A beautiful, straight smile is an investment that will last for the rest of your life. Contact our Las Vegas orthodontic offices to schedule your complimentary consultation today!


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No? Crap. Back in the Manor kitchen, Raige's Moustache again vows to save Not!warts, even though she doesn't as yet have a plan. Meanwhile, Piper decides to head out "into the big, bad world" with the kids for the first time since last season's finale. And...that's about it. Are we done yet?
Still? Shit! Down in Hell, the stupid Dolt plays with Barbas's ashes. Just go with it, because there are only twenty-seven seconds left. The camera suddenly shudders all the way across the floor to get all up in the Dolt's face and I'm looking away now! From somewhere above, the disembodied Head snarls, "Barbas was right -- killing him doesn't kill the pain of betrayal." The Dolt, I believe, rises to his feet to challenge the Head with "Who are you? What do you want?" "What do we want?" the Head repeats as it rapidly materializes at the far end of the chamber before howling, "We want you!" Muah ha ha ha ha ha ha! Also: DUN! Is that DUN! going to last all season, or will other episodes get their own DUN!s? I just can't wait to find out!
Oh, wait a minute. I totally can.
Next week: Hag On A Nag. I can't get into the details with you because I'm still far too traumatized by the promo. Yeeesh.


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Posts tagged alumni
Posts tagged alumni
"Continue writing, and if you want to write this story, I will help you." - Author and human rights activist Ishmael Beah '04 recalling the support of Oberlin professors (via Oberlin College & Conservatory)
Writing for young people isn't child's play. Hannah Bonner '78, a studio art major from Palma de Mallorca, Spain (where she grew up), has learned how to speak—and illustrate—their language. Bonner and several Oberlin College alumni have made successful careers as writers, authors, poets, editors, and illustrators for books geared for children through young adults. (via Oberlin College & Conservatory)
Watch Dean Eric Estes, Dean Brenda Grier-Miller, Associate Dean and Professor Jan Miyake, Professor David Walker, and Professor Erik Inglis (and others!) share what they love about working with Oberlin students.
Have you seen the photos from Monday's commencement ceremony? (via Commencement 2014 - an album on Flickr)
Approximately 675 students in the class of 2014 can now claim status as alums of Oberlin. Congratulations! (via Oberlin College & Conservatory)
Big shoes, baggy pants, assorted props: only a handful of the things actor and theatrical clown Bill Irwin '73 brought to Finney Chapel last month. (via Oberlin College & Conservatory)
"An American theater all by himself." - Director Jon Jory on playwright Romulus Linney '53 (via Oberlin College & Conservatory)
"Everybody stands to learn from everybody else, and from all approaches to music… No matter what you're doing musically, having a wider grasp and a love of different things will only help you to be a better musician." - Chris "Critter" Eldridge '04, guitarist in the Punch Brothers, the first ensemble in residence funded by the Oberlin American Roots Residency Fund.. (via Oberlin College & Conservatory)
"Wall Street would be a whole lot better with a little more Tappan Square in it." - Stewart Kohl '77, co-founder of the Oberlin Business Scholars Program (via Oberlin College & Conservatory)
"The really good players try to set up the players that aren't as skilled and help out the players that have a lot to learn. It's a wonderful group of people." - Faculty sponsor Cortland Hill '77 on Oberlin's club ice hockey team The Plague. (via Oberlin College & Conservatory)