Married with Children: the Union of
Martin Luther and Katherine von Bora.

February 8, 2010

Some of his closest friends advised against Martin Luther's plan to marry ex-nun Katherine von Bora, contending it would harm the Reformation, but for Luther the union was a life changing decision, guaranteed, he thought, to please his father, rile the pope, cause the angels to laugh and the devils to weep. The marriage also proved pleasing and fruitful to husband and wife, as Ron Fritze tells us in his latest essay for Age of the Reformation.

The Old Place at Smead.

February 7, 2010

Thanks to my friend Bob Abbott for this story. A few weeks ago he told me about this house and several other buildings on the site, including a couple of barns. Built in the late 1800s, the house, like a lot of other rural domiciles, got an addition in the early 1900s. The first order of business for a family was always shelter. As families grew, so did the shelter.

A Very Shy Little Border Collie
Finds a Loving Home in Kansas.

January 27, 2010

Karen Steele of Dodge City, Kansas, writes in response to "Three Aussies," Ebenezer Bowles' Letter from Crow's Cottage of January 19, 2010.   From her office at the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Karen spreads goodwill and a helpful hand to any and all who come her way.  She is a devoted champion of the natural wonders of the Sunflower State.  Karen's letter shares experiences, both sad and joyous, that are familiar to each of us who enjoy the company of dogs.   Thanks, Karen!

Three Aussies: Pile of Puppies.

January 25, 2010

I'm sixty years and they're eleven weeks. It's a good balance. Crow's Cottage rocks with new life and awesome bursts of animal energy.

Three puppies! It's hard to imagine, easier to accept. Compassion got the best of me at the moment of acquisition.

The Cages.

January 15, 2010

She is a friend. She wrote in her honest manner that she didn't understand a word of it. He could see why. Something fundamental and lasting was changing, chaos over order, despair over the preciousness of hope, all the good things cultivated through years of study and meditation beginning to crumble into a pile of fragments on the cluttered ganglion floor.

Mysteries Set in History No. 3:
The Sleuths of Ancient Rome.

December 18, 2009

Ron Fritze's third survey of the historical mystery genre takes us to Ancient Rome, where sleuths and gumshoes with names like Marcus Corvinus, Gordianus the Finder, and John the Eunuch find adventure amid the intrigues and conspiracies of emperors, schemers, and assassins. As Ron tells it, the serial novels of Lindsey Davis, John Maddox Roberts, Steven Saylor, and others provide ample opportunity for some fun and relaxing reading.

Pomona of Kentucky.

December 8, 2009

The last of Summer's flowers have withered away. They lasted so wonderfully long. Begonia, impatiens, morning glory, marigold . . . holding their bloom 'till the Thanksgiving feasts were done . . . sent to sleep by the belated arrival of the first bitter freeze, the weatherman announcing: "The cold front is marching in." Weathermen are so dramatic.  

ACTFL Convention and Expo:
Language and Culture by the Sea.

December 3, 2009

In her report about the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages 2009 Annual Convention & World Languages Expo at San Diego, Freddie Bowles writes: "I left Arkansas with information to share with my foreign language colleagues and returned with some new ideas to share with my students. Of the 600-plus educational sessions at the convention, at least half focused on technology. The millennials, current jargon for students in today’s classrooms, possess a level of techno proficiency that demands continual professional development on the part of teachers."

Commas, Conjunctions, a Million
Dollars, and the Barenaked Ladies.

November 18, 2009

What does AAAWWUBBIS have in common with the Barenaked Ladies and a pile of money? How does the tune "If I Had a Million Dollars" help students learn about "comma causers" and smartly crafted sentences? Focusing on the concept of "purposefully arranged words," this compact, one-period AAAWWUBBIS writing activity created by Cindy Williams answers those questions and more as it "invites" students to connect writing to the music of their world. It's good and proper grammar, too! 

Ausgezeichnete Übersetzung.

September 21, 2009

Dwight Langston of the University of Central Arkansas loves to translate and analyze German. A few weeks ago he sent a special translation of a Bio Poem to Planet Gnosis. Bio poem assignments are a favorite lesson for students of Freddie Bowles in the Master of Arts in Teaching Program at the University of Arkansas. Dwight's "ausgezeichnete Übersetzung" adds to the body of work for this flexible and popular lesson.

A Directed Reading of Steinbeck's
Of Mice and Men Illustrates
The LitTunes Approach to Literacy.

September 10, 2009

Christian Goering writes: "Having my pre-service teachers read and connect to Of Mice and Men was an approach I was sure would be engaging, a solid strategy for future teachers to practice, and a pursuit which would allow a few graduate students an opportunity to delve into the world of professionalism by co-authoring a book chapter with me.... Now that the publication process is behind me, it’s time to review how this project came to fruition and share some of its highlights with the LitTunes community. The project provides useful insights for teachers who are looking for new ways to present Steinbeck’s tragic novella. It also illustrates the dynamic, flexible nature of the LitTunes approach to literacy and the English language arts classroom."

5 Pieces by Ted Itagaki.

July 28, 2009

Poet, philosopher, and all-around good guy Ted Itagaki is an ever-present fount of peace and wisdom.  Most days you'll find him at the Silver Saddle in Santa Fe, New Mexico, ready to share a cup of coffee and polite conversation.  We invite you to peruse Ted's poetic voice and unique perspective in 5 Pieces, the latest addition to CornDancer's long-time creative showcase, Saturday's Guest Writer.

Two States, Indiscernible.

February 7, 2008

He comes in search of unification.

From the salty mist he walked onto wet sand, greeting me in the earliest rays of the day. "We've work to do," he said, his voice like gravel under boots, his bare feet like brush bristles on the surface of the beach. "We've contradictions to merge into a higher truth. Be ready."

We named him O....

Letter from Abu Dhabi.

June 10, 2003

Soon after the USA launched the war in Iraq in March, 2003, a friend of CornDancer contacted us to ask if we were interested in publishing a series of dispatches from Abu Dhabi, where he lived and worked with the armed forces of the United Arab Emirates. Yes! Thus was born the Letter from Abu Dhabi, a series of eight dispatches filed by Jack E. Vines, recounting his experiences as an American ex-patriot caught-up in the intrigue and passion of a region consumed by thoughts of war.