Revision

Hello Again,

So as Promised here is another revision of my work.  Feel free to view at your leisure. 

-cheers

Craig Knight

Submission 1

March 10, 2012

Over the past 70 years, comic books and superheroes have been an enduring tribute to the ever-changing heroic ideal. These characters that boldly defended truth, justice and the equally evolving American way, have attempted to follow the same script handed down since the their inception. This ideal that was spawned in the early days of good vs. evil has grown more and more nebulous with each coming age.  In the early days of the medium known as the Golden Age[1], the superhero’s goal was strait forward because it was aligned with the nation’s aim of defeating fascism.  Hero’s like Captain America, Superman and Wonder Woman donned the colors of the flag as they pummeled German soldiers and other villains who threatened the security of American citizens.  During this stage in the development of comics, evil was simple, neatly packaged and ideal propaganda against real life enemies abroad.  In the 1950’s however, the end of World War II and the allies’ victory left a void where the need for such heroes once thrived.  Few titles survived this dilemma except Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.  Ironically, their most epic battles have been with aging fans that push them to continually prove their relevance[2]. Current writers in this genre such as Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello and Ed Brubaker are attempting to yet again redefine the superhero in response to this aging group of comic book readers [quant data will verify this] that have over the years become more mature and more skeptical. In the Golden Age, comic book writers strived to pinpoint the vivid contrast between the hero and his nemesis.  For example, heroes like Superman were always given socially redeeming characteristics such as unblemished integrity and a pleasant disposition separating him from his counterpart Lex Luthor who often showed disdain for the weak and less fortunate. But recent trends in the genre have highlighted super heroes’ personality flaws. Today’s artists and writers have risen to the challenge of capturing these nuances making them more appealing mature fans who are now between 30 to 50 and aware of their own mortality.  Historically, Homer’s depiction of Odysseus as an adulterer and Jesus’s temptations have revealed that fallibility has always been a vital part of the male hero archetype. And virtue and evil have always been choices.  But do these choices always serve the greatest good?  In the modern age of comics attempts at answering this question abound. In recent years, Batman comics, films and video games have been among them.

My interest and the topic of this thesis are in Batman’s current relevance as an American icon. I believe that much of his significance is in his imperfections and contradictions as a character. I will admit that much of the appeal for me is that he is a hero without superpowers.  This flaw is in many ways his greatest advantage.  In many of the Batman stories both old and new, his lack of special abilities has caused many to underestimate him.  His ability to both accept and transcend this flaw unleashes a larger theme of human potential and its enduring appeal.  His lack of superhuman strength, speed or flight is merely a vehicle for him to explore the greatest superpower of all, human achievement, but not just on a physical level.  The intrigue of Batman as a hero lies in the part of him that may be over looked, his alter ego Bruce Wayne.  Wayne’s life is often shown as a mere distraction to the real story that is Batman.  But the most fascinating thing about him is that the things that make him a hero are steeped in his own humanity. There are four major components that are in my opinion vital to the Batman mythos.  His heroic status is contingent upon wealth, regret, intelligence and will.   Although these qualities leave much to be desired when considering the merits of a hero, they are instrumental in his sustainability as a bona fide crusader for his own dark version of justice, which is separated by a thin line that borders revenge.  Over the years, these qualities have become the Batman character’s own brand of heroic virtues which set him apart from the likes of other heroes such as Superman who has traditionally depicted the consummate boy scout of the comic book world.  Also, these are the key components that contribute his dark appeal, which was later explored by Frank Miller and others. These qualities could be viewed as firebrands or instruments of torture that have seared their mark on his soul driving his motivations nearly into the darker realm of anti-hero.  But with all of the darkness he presents, his own brand of morality has also kept him from going completely to that place. In essence, Batman has all of the qualities of a boogey man for justice who inspires fear in his enemies without inflicting the ultimate sentence of death. This is because Wayne the real hero keeps him grounded as he presumably enjoys all of the frivolities of his wealth by day and fights the forces that resent him by night.  However, he does not fight anyone’s legal pursuit of these very same frivolities, proving the point that his job as a hero is both difficult and complex.

Conflicting Symbols:  Bruce Wayne Vs. The Bat

Many fans would agree that the origin of Batman is one of the most interesting of all superheroes.  Other comics like Marvel Comics’ Daredevil, and Spiderman to name a few have all followed the formula of tragic deaths forging their characters in to avengers for justice.  But none of these heroes wear their angst quite like Batman. The impact on Bruce Wayne’s psyche and its most pronounced symptom, brooding seriousness is vividly contrasted to Spiderman’s wit after the loss of his uncle Ben and Daredevil’s dashing demeanor in spite of the loss of his father.  Even Batman’s sidekick Robin insists on seeing the lighter side of things especially while on the job of crime fighting.  Batman on the other hand takes on a different persona.  Because he blames his self for not being able to save his parents, he is in constant battle with his conscience. In his book Super Heroes: A Modern Mythology, Richard Reynolds illustrates Bruce Wayne’s decision to become a symbol of fear to battle both his demons and the crime element in Gotham City. He decides to don the symbol of a bat, a creature of the night, when a bat flies through his window while he sits brooding in his father’s study.  He views this as a definitive omen and says the famous words from Batman 47[3]; ‘Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot, so I must wear a costume that will strike terror into their hearts! I must be creature of the night, like a…a …A Bat! (Reynolds 67) Although this decision by modern standards might seem a bit corny, it is clear that Bruce Wayne’s decision to become a bat was a direct cause of profound angst that could only be alleviated by taking action.  So another major appeal of his character is that although he is just a mortal man, he is more capable than anyone in Gotham City to make such an absurd idea a reality.

Tony Spanakos in the book Batman and Philosophy:  The Dark Knight of the Soul offers the view that:

Gotham [City], particularly its government, is the source of Batman’s angst. Thomas and Martha Wayne [his parents] were murdered because the state was incapable of maintaining law and order, and Bruce Wayne’s response was to become the crime-fighting Batman, trying to correct the lack of order in his city.  Though extreme, this reaction is not unique.  Nearly all of the major characters in the Batman pantheon are reacting against a state that is perceived as either too weak or too restrictive.  Batman…has a more nuanced vision of public safety in that he supports the state but rejects its exclusive authority in the area of security.  This highlights the precarious nature of political rule, and it also explains why the Batman has such a problematic relationship with the state. (Spanakos 2008)

Spanakos’s point sheds light on a vital element in Batman’s motivation to become a hero.  His distrust of the system forces him to react with vigor to the injustices in Gotham City. Again, the major appeal here is that he has both the resources and desire to affect change when most face the common dilemma of having one or the other but never both.  This of course gives the reader the best of both worlds.  He is both rich and righteous in an era where the two clash. The reader shares his distrust of the system and also aspires to his wealthy lifestyle. A major issue is that Batman being a symbol of the elite is a hero of contradictions.   His alter ego Bruce Wayne is depicted as a benevolent billionaire whose moral character would not allow him to the kinds of activities that would be necessary to maintain his fortune in an arena where morals don’t account for much.  In fact writers of the comic have even emphasized his image as a playboy who is to busy having parties and fraternizing with women to involve his self in business matters. There are no hostile take-overs or government bailouts in his stories. One may assume that he dons the cape and cowl at night as a means to repent for the sins he commits by day.

Although Spanakos’s analysis places Batman comfortably in the category of hero, skeptics might still question his conviction to serving the greater good even if he attempts to do it through physical acts of heroism night after night.  In Batman and Philosophy, Mahesh Ananth and Ben Dixon argue that Bruce Wayne’s decision to become Batman was morally questionable.  They argue that Batman on his best night could not do nearly as much good as his alter ego, billionaire Bruce Wayne.  They cite Peter Singer, a utilitarian philosopher to galvanize their claims. Singer’s song is in praise of the utilitarian doctrine that encourages us to perform acts that create the greatest good or the least amount of evil for the greatest number of people. (Ananth & Dixon 103) An interesting caveat to this doctrine hidden in the fine print is that such acts be committed ‘without sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance’. (103) Singer also focuses on the minimum amount of ‘moral cost’ an individual would expend if they happened upon a small child drowning in a shallow pond stressing that the greatest cost would be wet or muddy clothes.  According to Singer, saving a child under such circumstances is something everyone ought to do.  In his view, this principle could also be applied to the ‘affluent members of the Western world with all of our frivolities’.  Singer questions our willingness to give up our CD’s DVD’s, name brand clothing if it meant that we might in return save human lives. (104) Singer also makes clear two forms of giving, strong and moderate.

The strong version claims that we’re morally obligated to give until we reach the point where we could cause as much suffering to ourselves as is present in those we are helping, unless in doing so we had to sacrifice something of comparable moral significance.  The moderate version, in contrast, claims that we’re morally obligated to give until we reach the point at which we sacrifice something morally significant as a result of our degree of giving. (105)

According to Mehesh and Ananth, Bruce Wayne’s contribution to the less fortunate in Gotham doesn’t quite fit what I will call the Singarian framework of giving.  He would in fact be more effective if he just became the ultimate humanitarian and give up more than half of his fortune.  Unfortunately, this method does not sell comic books, movie tickets or video games.  Singer’s philosophy would in fact eliminate the need for a Batman and more importantly obliterate the Batman myth.  This would make one wonder if we were a society that is addicted to symbols and how much we prefer symbols to actual solutions to the problems that plague Western society.  For example, when a real life bat signal was projected across the Verizon building back in November donning the   the numbers 99% and other powerful messages it was another alert to the country’s wealthy that change is imminent.  For Batman, his signal was a call for his help. In his stories many criticized his form of help.[4]  What kinds “help” will result from these real life bat signals? Opinions are of course varied.

Works Cited

Baron-Carvais, Isabelle. “Superheroes to Americas Rescue”. Raison Presente 64 (1982): 49-59. Sociological Abstracts. 30 Jan. 2012.

Creekmur, Corey K. "Superheroes And Science Fiction: Who Watches Comic Books?" Science Fiction Studies 31.2 (2004): 283-290. Humanities International Complete. Web. 31 Jan. 2012.

Fouillet, Aurelien. "From Daedalus to Batman: Study on a Contemporary Imaginary: Superheroes." Societes.4 (2009): 25-32. Sociological Abstracts. 30 Jan. 2012 .

Knilli, Friedrich, et al. "Aspects of the Development of a Visual Culture as Exemplified by the Comics: The State of Comics Research in the Federal Republic of Germany." Communications 9.- (1983): 149-89. Sociological Abstracts. 30 Jan. 2012 .

Larson, Mark. "Lawsuit Seeks Back Rent from Moribund e-Retailer." Sacramento Business Journal 17.44 (2001): 11-. ABI/INFORM Complete; ProQuest Central; ProQuest Education Journals; ProQuest Newsstand; ProQuest Psychology Journals; ProQuest Research Library; ProQuest Social Science Journals. 30 Jan. 2012.

Partible, Leo. "Superheroes in Film and Pop Culture: Silhouettes of Redemption on the Screen."              Ed. B. J. Oropeza and Stan Lee.Peter Lang, 2005. 229-254. MLA International Bibliography.              31 Jan. 2012 .

White, Mark D, and Robert Arp. Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul. Hoboken, N.J:              John Wiley & Sons, 2008. Print.

---

[1] The Golden Age of comics was from 1938 to 1949.

[2] This information comes mostly from personal observations and discussions with comic book owners and employees in Brooklyn and Manhattan.  Being a comic nerd myself I rarely see people under the age of 20 shopping for traditional super hero comic books. Classic heroes like Batman and Superman have been left to the older generation. And that generation expects these heroes to grow and evolve.

[3] This issue first appeared in June 1948. Bill Finger and Bob Kane wrote it.

[4] Some good examples of public criticism of Batman are in Frank Miller’s classic, The Dark Knight Returns.

My Journey to Gotham (Thesis Chunk #1)

Hello all,

To those of you who have followed this blog I would like to apologize for staying away so long.  All I have been writing for the past several months are papers in an effort to finally graduate from graduate school.  Well I'm almost at the finished line and I am humbly requesting your help to help me finish my thesis.  I will be periodically posting chunks of this project in hopes that you (all 3 of you) will offer honest critiques of it in all of its incarnations.  I am mostly interested in what you think about the content over anything else.  I can always go back and edit grammar.  So, that being said here is chunk #1.

Thesis Proposal, Craig Knight

Advisor:  Melissa Monroe

Second Reader: Charlene Bryant

MLA Format

Over the past century, comic books and superheroes have been an enduring tribute to the evolving heroic ideal.  These characters that boldly defended truth, justice and the equally evolving American way continue to pursue these same goals today.  Current writers in this genre such as Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello and Ed Brubaker are attempting to yet again redefine the superhero in response to its aging fans that have over the years become more mature and more skeptical. One might even discover that there is a fine line between superheroes and the villains who have sworn to destroy them. Traditionally, comics have always strived to pinpoint the vivid contrast between the hero and his nemesis.  However, recent trends in the genre have highlighted super heroes’ imperfections. Some would even argue that this makes them more appealing to the everyman.  Homer’s depiction of Odysseus as an adulterer and Jesus’s temptations reveal that fallibility has always been a vital part of the male hero archetype. And virtue and evil have always been choices.  But do these choices always serve the greatest good?  In the modern age of comics attempts at answering this question abound.  But there aren’t many that have addressed it more than the Batman comic. 

My interest and the topic of this thesis are in Batman’s current relevance as an American icon. I believe that much of his significance is in his imperfections and contradictions as a character. I will admit that much of the appeal for me is that he is a hero without superpowers.  This flaw is in many ways his greatest advantage.  In many of the Batman stories both old and new, his lack of special abilities has caused many to underestimate him.  His ability to both accept and transcend this flaw unleashes a larger theme of human potential and its enduring appeal.  His lack of superhuman strength, speed or flight is merely a vehicle for him to explore the greatest superpower of all, human achievement, but not just on a physical level.  The intrigue of Batman as a hero lies in the part of him that may be over looked, his alter ego Bruce Wayne.  Wayne’s life is often shown as a mere distraction to the real story that is Batman.  But the most fascinating thing about him is that the things that make him a hero are steeped in his own humanity. There are four major components that are in my opinion vital to the Batman mythos.  His heroic status is contingent upon wealth, regret, intelligence and will.   Although these qualities leave much to be desired when considering the merits of a hero, they are instrumental in his sustainability as a bona fide crusader for justice.  Over the years, these qualities have become the Batman character’s own brand of heroic virtues which set him apart from the likes of other heroes such as Superman who according to many readers of comics is the consummate boy scout of the comic book world.  Also, these are the key components that contribute his dark appeal, which was later explored by Frank Miller and others. These qualities could be viewed as firebrands or instruments of torture that have seared their mark on his soul driving his motivations nearly into the darker realm of anti-hero.  But with all of the darkness he presents, his own brand of morality has also kept him from going completely to that place. In essence, Batman has all of the qualities of a boogey man for justice who inspires fear in his enemies without inflicting the ultimate sentence of death. This is because Wayne the real hero keeps him grounded as he presumably enjoys all of the frivolities of his wealth by day and fights the forces that resent him by night.  However, he does not fight anyone’s legal pursuit of these very same frivolities, proving the point that his job as a hero is both difficult and complex.

Virtue #1 Wealth and the Ability to Manipulate Symbols

Tony Spanakos in the book Batman and Philosophy:  The Dark Knight of the Soul offers the view that:

Gotham [City], particularly its government, is the source of Batman’s angst. Thomas and Martha Wayne [his parents] were murdered because the state was incapable of maintaining law and order, and Bruce Wayne’s response was to become the crime-fighting Batman, trying to correct the lack of order in his city.  Though extreme, this reaction is not unique.  Nearly all of the major characters in the Batman pantheon are reacting against a state that is perceived as either too weak or too restrictive.  Batman…has a more nuanced vision of public safety in that he supports the state but rejects its exclusive authority in the area of security.  This highlights the precarious nature of political rule, and it also explains why the Batman has such a problematic relationship with the state. (Spanakos 2008)

Spanakos’s point sheds light on a vital element in Batman’s motivation to become a hero.  His distrust of the system forces him to react with vigor to the injustices in Gotham City. A major part of the appeal here is that he has both the resources and desire to affect change when most face the common dilemma of having one or the other but never both.  This of course gives the reader the best of both worlds.  He is both rich and righteous in an era where the two clash. The reader shares his distrust of the system and also aspires to his wealthy lifestyle. A major issue is that Batman being a symbol of the elite is a hero of contradictions.   His alter ego Bruce Wayne is depicted as a benevolent billionaire who is morally incapable of resorting to the kinds of activities that would be necessary to maintain his fortune.  There are no hostile take-overs or government bailouts in his stories. One may assume that he dons the cape and cowl at night as a means to repent for the sins he commits by day.

Although Spanakos’s analysis places Batman comfortably in the category of hero, skeptics might still question his conviction to serving the greater good even if he attempts to do it through physical acts of heroism night after night.  In Batman and Philosophy, Mahesh Ananth and Ben Dixon argue that Bruce Wayne’s decision to become Batman was morally questionable.  They argue that Batman on his best night could not do nearly as much good as his alter ego, billionaire Bruce Wayne.  They cite Peter Singer, a utilitarian philosopher to galvanize their claims. Singer’s song is in praise of the utilitarian doctrine that encourages us to perform acts that create the greatest good or the least amount of evil for the greatest number of people. (Ananth & Dixon 103) An interesting caveat to this doctrine hidden in the fine print is that such acts be committed ‘without sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance’. (103) Singer also focuses on the minimum amount of ‘moral cost’ an individual would expend if they happened upon a small child drowning in a shallow pond stressing that the greatest cost would be wet or muddy clothes.  According to Singer, saving a child under such circumstances is something everyone ought to do.  In his view, this principle could also be applied to the ‘affluent members of the Western world with all of our frivolities’.  Singer questions our willingness to give up our CD’s DVD’s, name brand clothing if it meant that we might in return save human lives. (104) Singer also makes clear two forms of giving, strong and moderate.

The strong version claims that we’re morally obligated to give until we reach the point where we could cause as much suffering to ourselves as is present in those we are helping, unless in doing so we had to sacrifice something of comparable moral significance.  The moderate version, in contrast, claims that we’re morally obligated to give until we reach the point at which we sacrifice something morally significant as a result of our degree of giving. (105)

According to Mehesh and Ananth, Bruce Wayne’s contribution to the less fortunate in Gotham doesn’t quite fit what I will call the Singarian framework of giving.  He would in fact be more effective if he just became the ultimate humanitarian and give up more than half of his fortune.  Unfortunately, this method does not sell comic books, movie tickets or video games.  Singer’s philosophy would in fact eliminate the need for a Batman and more importantly obliterate the Batman myth.  This would make one wonder if we were a society that is addicted to symbols and how much we prefer symbols to actual solutions to the problems that plague Western society. It would seem that in an election year for example, that whoever holds the most power over symbols wins.  [I will of course explore this further].

Works Cited

Baron-Carvais, Isabelle. “Superheroes to Americas Rescue”. Raison Presente 64 (1982): 49-59. Sociological Abstracts. 30 Jan. 2012.

Creekmur, Corey K. "Superheroes And Science Fiction: Who Watches Comic Books?" Science Fiction Studies 31.2 (2004): 283-290. Humanities International Complete. Web. 31 Jan. 2012.

Fouillet, Aurelien. "From Daedalus to Batman: Study on a Contemporary Imaginary: Superheroes." Societes.4 (2009): 25-32. Sociological Abstracts. 30 Jan. 2012 .

Knilli, Friedrich, et al. "Aspects of the Development of a Visual Culture as Exemplified by the Comics: The State of Comics Research in the Federal Republic of Germany." Communications 9.- (1983): 149-89. Sociological Abstracts. 30 Jan. 2012 .

Larson, Mark. "Lawsuit Seeks Back Rent from Moribund e-Retailer." Sacramento Business Journal 17.44 (2001): 11-. ABI/INFORM Complete; ProQuest Central; ProQuest Education Journals; ProQuest Newsstand; ProQuest Psychology Journals; ProQuest Research Library; ProQuest Social Science Journals. 30 Jan. 2012.

Partible, Leo. "Superheroes in Film and Pop Culture: Silhouettes of Redemption on the Screen."              Ed. B. J. Oropeza and Stan Lee.Peter Lang, 2005. 229-254. MLA International Bibliography.              31 Jan. 2012 .

White, Mark D, and Robert Arp. Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul. Hoboken, N.J:              John Wiley & Sons, 2008. Print.

Marvels of the Midlife Universe

Men want to be superheroes. The lucky among us who shoot baskets, perform to capacity crowds or manage hedge funds are of course among the minority. The rest of us perpetually wait for the grand moment when our super powers will be dramatically revealed. We usually expect or hope that they kick in around the magical age of 40 after the vigorous training of years 1 through 39 have passed. The unfathomable wisdom of this fourth decade of our lives however, is not without a sense of irony. Without a doubt, we do transform. But, like Bruce Banner (aka The Hulk) could attest, it is never in the way we expect. Like Banner, many of us spend at least the first 20 years of our adult lives trying to tame our beastly impulses knowing fully well that after that time passes, the monster has still not left the room but at least he's wearing a tie. For example, if someone told me 20 years ago that I would be a teacher etcetera, etcetera.

Women on the other hand, are born with instant consciousness of their super abilities. It begins the moment they learn to say "dada" which works on fathers in the same way the word Shazzam! affects young Billy Batson. It is the serum that transforms ordinary men into super soldiers assigned to protect their little girls to the death and beyond. But if the soldier has super hearing during this critical period, he can actually pick up his beloved princess telling him that although she appreciates his protection, she would really like him to teach her to take care of herself so she can someday conquer half the world and get her man to conquer the other half whenever she gets tired or bored. I realize that this makes her sound more like a super villain, but I guess it just depends on your view of Beyonce'.

If I could give my fiance' a superhero name it would be "The Womb"; ABLE TO GIVE BIRTH TO TWO AMAZING CHILDREN!" And while the world stands stupefied waiting to hear the remaining list of her abilities she would roll her eyes and place her arms gently akimbo and with subtle sarcasm say "Did, you really think I needed to say more?” And after the 23 seconds it takes for the moment to wear off, a reporter would ask: "well is there any thing special you can do with your womb besides the obvious?" And in the 23 seconds it takes to deliver her already calculated response her brilliant smile would remain impenetrable, her eyes a shade browner, a shade more serious and her tone as pleasant as a summer breeze and almost sing the words "honey even superman had a mama". Her other most vital super power would be boldly present, yet, undetected as she uses it to melt every heart in her path.

I have recently become inspired to explore my own super powers and attempt to find a name that suits them. So far I came up with Stress Man, The Worrier and The Mortgage Man which only sounds appropriate when preceded by the question: why are we always so damn broke”?, which would be immediately followed by “why the hell do you think?” which could only be uttered by my fiance' and would perform the double duty of answering my stupid ass question and calling out my full superhero title for theatrical effect. Needless to say, I didn’t choose that one.

Then, I decided to be The Watcher. My powers would be to watch things, let them unfold, and most importantly just shut the f*** up and listen because I might actually learn some shit. But then I realized that "The Watcher” was already taken. So I decided to go with: Justshutthef***upandlistenbecauseyoumightactuallylearnsomeshit Man. Both my name and my super power were revealed to me the day I miraculously stopped repeatedly asking my self the question: How did I get here? The only things in the known universe that would be able to limit my “just” powers are birthdays, Christmases, Valentine's Days and 362 other days whose names escape me. During these days, all of the watching must be replaced with actions. These actions of course would be worthy of the super hero title. But as I mentioned before, this transformation takes time. In fact, I’m not sure if my transformation is quite done. In the mean time stay tuned for the next episode as well as my new Justshutthef***upandlistenbecauseyoumightactuallylearnsomeshit Man t-shirts. They will be ready just as soon as I can find a way to fit all of those words into a cool emblem. Merchandising is everything!

Worth Explaining

There have been many cases where I have felt like the enemy in my own classroom. The first time I felt it was early in my teaching career at a school in the Bronx. A student was talking loudly during a lesson. All of his classmates were clearly listening to him and not me. When I reminded him that class had started, he replied, “I was explaining something” and all of the students glared at me as if I was the one who was out of line. Who knows? Maybe I was. After all, I was engaging in the same struggle to be an explainer as he. But in that scenario I lost, because he just continued with his explanation, the rest of the class continued listening, and I was confronted with the sobering realization that the lecture is a dying art in New York City public schools.

But there is a part of me that refuses to believe this. It’s the part that was inspired by my 9th grade English teacher Mr. Everett with his cool Clint Eastwood like voice and disposition, which whispered “Make my day” to any freshman that would dare to be a distraction. We couldn’t quite describe what it was that compelled us to respect him. Maybe we were intimidated by the fact that he had so much self control, confidence and above all, patience of which was mostly displayed in the way he carefully chose every word he said with grace and precision. He created a sense of foreboding in his students, leaving us to question what a man with so much patience would do if he was ever pushed to lose it. So we all just gave him the floor whenever his gentle but firm voice suggested it and his strong presence demanded it. I once learned the consequence of violating the unspoken rule against speaking out of turn when I made fun of a student named Jason as he joyfully gave Mr. Everett an account of his dance filled weekend at the local club on the other side of town. I interrupted the conversation with an incredulous question “Jason you can dance”? Instantly, as the words recklessly leapt off my tongue I knew I’d screwed up, because I could hear Mr. Everett taking a breath as he carefully loaded his response to my ill-advised critique from his expansive lexicon and became a verbal Dirty Harry. His icy reply was “Mr. Knight are you implying that this student can’t dance because of his color?”, If so, your classmate and I find that extremely insulting and beneath you”. I was speechless because he was not only right, but his approach was completely unexpected. And, as an added bonus I learned what the word “imply” meant. Although I didn’t change my beliefs about my classmate’s dancing ability, I learned the valuable lesson that there was a time and a place to express my unsolicited opinions. His class was not one of them.
In the current landscape of public education however, Mr. Everett’s approach would seem to be pretty close to impossible.

Mr. Everett had a poetic approach to teaching that the students in my classes fail to appreciate. There are many reasons to consider why students would be non-responsive to his brand of reasoning, like parenting (or the lack of), socio-economics, etc. But the most present factor I encounter daily is a competitive drive to be seen, heard and acknowledged, by any means necessary, no matter how many times they are removed from class, their parents are called, or they are suspended. Most of them are willing to hazard the risk of punishment because the prize they are after is self-esteem. And the only obstacles to this goal are their fellow students and me and my “boring” rants about analyzing elements of plot in short fiction. Even my better students who actually focus on the lessons have a tendency to rudely cut off their peers during class discussions just to be acknowledged for giving the correct answer. I have tried the Everett approach once or twice when this has happened. But the deep sigh, purposed glare, and carefully selected reprimand only resulted in half-hearted apologies followed by repeat offenses 10-20 seconds later (Yes, I have timed them). Other students who find alternate more effective methods of getting attention like farting, belching, or cursing, all of which are done loudly, are too numerous for me to take the calculated approach of my former teacher. In the past I have resorted to yelling, but this is merely a temporary solution. One could argue that my students are enthusiastic and their energies should be redirected and harnessed. This responsibility of course lays with me, the teacher, but the major lesson my students retain daily, is that in the urban class room, only the strongest and the loudest survive. The competitive atmosphere that these factors create is my biggest obstacle to maintaining order in my classes.

Since I have been teaching I have heard many approaches to the growing rambunctiousness in public school class rooms. Many of these models such as backward design, ramp-up and the workshop model all have one major goal in mind which is creating a student centered environment in which the teacher is just a facilitator and the students run the class. Although this is a noble concept, there is also a major flaw. Although students have the ability to take control of any class discussion or activity, they lack the discipline to use this power to a constructive end. In response to this dilemma we teachers set up rules such as “The One Mic” rule which states that only one student should speak at a time. There are also the Socratic seminar and “accountable talk” models which require that students willingly participate in meaningful discussions which address open ended essential questions like “What is a hero?” or “What is self-awareness?”

These approaches create major problems. One is the student who has barely reached the first level of knowledge on Bloom’s Taxonomy. This is a student whose entire academic career before high school was in environments where “right answers” were all that mattered. Often in scenarios like this, the teacher must be diligent in helping students engage in a level of thinking that goes beyond the gold star. So, in high school, students are often introduced abruptly to a form of instruction which asks them to find their own answers to varied levels of teacher questioning. This is one example of differentiated instruction which on paper is supposed to address various learning styles and levels of the student. Students however, become very frustrated because all they want is the answer sans the bells and whistles which educators refer to as the learning process.

Another issue is that in this current environment where older and more experienced teachers are feeling a growing pressure to retire, inexperienced teachers who are new to the daunting task of addressing multiple learning styles, levels, and not to mention egos can easily be bludgeoned into submission with the ever present question “but is this right”? Or “What we gotta’ do”? Incessantly asking a teacher these questions even during tests is customary for this new breed of student. When my students ask those popular questions, I usually ask them what they think. This approach has had some pronounced effects on my class room environment. I have been cursed at, accused of being a bad teacher and even complained against formally. I have become abruptly aware that teachers must perform juggling acts to maintain integrity, please their students and keep administrators happy. On one hand, the teacher who does not address the constant outcry for right answers during his lessons can quickly lose favor with his students which results in disciplinary problems. On other hand, he will also lose equal favor with administrators if he cannot show that he has used every measure possible to address the needs of students and use this data to transform them into critical thinkers.

In one of my classes a student who was unprepared for a test stormed out of class because he didn’t think he should be required to take it. His only reason for his absences was cutting school. I am of course charged with the often tedious task of calling his parents to see why he cut and inform them of all of the work he missed, only to be met with a tone and familiar voice which informs me that the number has been disconnected. Another student who decided to talk and disrupt his peers during an exam was removed from class and sent home. He has since filed a complaint against the school for unfair treatment which is still pending. In reality, students in my classes only want to be “taught” on their terms. The so-called student centered approach is producing a self-centered pupil who is not shy when it comes to accusing his teachers of being inept. And if you don’t believe him, he’s got the poor grades to prove it. The pressure that is imposed on everyone involved in the educational process gives students their pick of scapegoats to justify their own failures. While everyone is fighting for their jobs, they just run amok, fully aware that when they are punished they can blame their behavior on the parent who is too over worked to pay them any attention, the teacher who is stressfully trying to manage 29 other egos, or the dean whom they claim just doesn’t like them. The conflicting interests held by teachers who want autonomy in their classrooms, politicians who want favorable statistics and administrators who want to keep their schools open have made way for a new kind of school environment to emerge.

It would seem that in the midst of all of the problems facing us in education, teachers, administrators, politicians, and of course parents all have some explaining to do. But maybe the time for explaining has come to an end. We are all aware that schools and class rooms are not perfect worlds. But I can recall a time when every effort was made by faculty, students, staff and parents to make them at least seem that way. I can also recall a time when I did not have to be yelled at to strive for perfection, when it didn’t matter whether or not a student liked their seat or whether the teacher “talked too much”. The irony in all of this is that the innovators of this new student centered approach all share these memories. Could it be possible that we are doing more damage than good when we grant autonomy to children who are frighteningly aware that it is an illusion in every other facet of the system that is selling it? Maybe I’m just too old school, but I have decided that teaching is still possible. And maybe the old kind of explaining in the class room is all that I need. There is a little voice in my head that keeps explaining to me, that I should not be afraid to go ahead and make someone’s day, because carefully chosen words can still inspire.

Patience: Bold as Love (revised)

Sometimes I am astounded by the level of patience that it takes to do my job. I am an educator and bold enough to call myself a beacon of light to some and humble enough to admit that I am a mere distraction to others. I face many challenges in my week from both students and faculty, but every once in a while I can look past my ego and reach an epiphany. It is these times when I realize that young people today are challenged with issues that would rival Job’s. The earthquakes that plague their lives come with aftershocks that would rattle the foundation of the average individual. For example, this past week one of my best students was placed in foster care because of sexual abuse. Yet in the midst of this upheaval she still remains as pleasant and resilient as ever. Unfortunately, she does not represent all of my students. Some drop out of school for seemingly lesser problems on the surface but may face issues just as severe.


My friends and associates often tell me that my profession is admirable and that they could never amass the level of patience that is needed do what I do. My reply to them is if you think I’m patient, you should meet some of my students. I have also been told by many who know me that this profession is the perfect fit because I have always possessed (allegedly) the required resolve needed to fill the task of being a teacher. I guess that makes me a virtuous man because after all patience is a virtue right? Sometimes I’m not so sure.

With this in mind, I decided to consult my dictionary on this enigma called patience. What is it about it that makes it so (pardon the expression) damned virtuous. I decided first to look up the word virtue. I found that virtue is defined as ‘moral excellence, goodness or righteousness’ I then looked up patience and found it defined as ‘ the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.

I must admit these definitions made me feel a little uncomfortable. Although I’d like to think that I aspire to be patient, I don’t think that it comes with such virtuous aspirations. In fact, in many cases the patience that I exhibit comes from apathy as a means of self preservation. I would even venture to say that many of us in our work lives possess similar safety mechanisms to keep from going over the edge. (If you have any doubts about this think about the next time you are having a drink after work and venting about the job or the next time you find yourself counting the days until your next vacation).

The question that still remains is how do we reach the virtuous part of our patience? Does it even exist? I’m not sure if I will ever find the answer to this question but I came closer recently while playing my guitar. I decided after 10 years of procrastination and fear to try my hand at learning two of my favorite Jimi Hendrix tunes: “Axis: Bold as Love” and “Little Wing”. Anyone who is a guitar player and appreciates Jimi’s music would probably say that the very thought of learning these songs could be quite overwhelming. I can’t really say what it was that motivated me to venture on this path of “hammer ons”, B minor 9ths and intricate embellishments. They always intimidated me in the past. The only thing that I can say is that from somewhere inside of me the patience materialized. It came without self judgment or regret of past attempts. I just took a deep breath and allowed myself to learn each song as if I was learning them for the first time had all the time in the world to do so. In essence, it came from a genuine love of the music and an overwhelming desire to do more than just listen, to become an active part of it.


I went to work the next day with an extra pep in my step. When my students and colleagues asked me how my weekend was, I smiled and told them it was time well spent. And occasionally when I came across a student who decided that he wanted to disrupt my class by talking out of turn, coming in late, or asking to go the bathroom in the middle of my lesson, my patience was transformed from an act of survival to an act of love. I think in those moments I discovered patience as a virtue. I realized that what I had done was revolutionary at least as far as my little world was concerned. All it took was for me to first be patient with myself use it toward something I loved in order to find patience for the rest of the world. As I think back to this time I am wondering if I should learn to play chess or learn another language or take up jigsaw puzzles as a hobby. Would these things make me more able to handle a room full of high school freshman? Could activities like this help republicans and democrats govern better? Could kicking a soccer ball help the Israelis and Palestinians stop fighting in Gaza? Could playing ping pong end the war in Afghanistan? How much does Barack Obama love shooting hoops? And if he is shooting the rock right now is he working on some shot that he never had the time or patience to work on in the past after a busy day in the oval office as a means to unwind? I wonder what would happen on his next day at work if he finally hit that shot.

Guest Post by Autumn

Don't be too scary for Halloween!

Dope at 40? (revised)

Dope adj.- A word that describes something that is extremely cool, such as music, clothes, people, etc.
-The Urban Dictionary


A girlfriend from my thirties once offered me as a consolation prize for my unrequited love the following phrase: “You’re gonna’ be dope when your 40”. Well that day has come thank you very much and my birthday gift is a beautiful baby instructions not included. What was included however, was the responsibility of insuring that hope is an essential part of his and my daughter’s life for the rest of their days. Am I dope? Well I guess it depends on whom you ask.
My father once told me that he took 40 very hard. I suppose it was because he always wanted to be rich and famous. He was once an actor, singer and model. None of those things proved fruitful in his life and there is an unwritten rule somewhere that says in the quest to become rich and famous 40 is the cut off. Another woman I dated once told me that we Americans are shamefully preoccupied with fame and fortune. Is this not the case in other countries? On some level I understand my father’s pain but presently I don’t feel it. To his credit, I share his passion for the arts but I am under the sobering realization that their primary purpose in my life is to keep me from going insane. Although fame and fortune would be welcome, I value time most of all especially when it grants me the permission to create and be uninterrupted by the realities of a practical life. It is in those rare occurrences that I truly feel dope.
Today I stared into the eyes of my son of 5 days. In them there existed the wisdom of 40 eternities. I know that sounds corny but since I’m his dad and he’s my first son I guess I’m allowed. Needless to say I was humbled to say the least when he appeared on the scene, which really made me, put this whole 40 thing into perspective. I am 40. Big friggin’ deal! This is what his eyes say to me.

There are times when I am afraid because I don’t want him to experience the same failures I have. What do I tell him when he meets his first bully? What advice do I give him when someone breaks his heart? But in the midst of my panic his eyes tell me that he has faith in me and that he and I will both figure it out. Am I dope? It’s too early to tell I think. The journey has just begun. Whether I am dope or not remains to be seen. Swagger is a mere illusion.
One of the hardest things I have witnessed as an adult is the moment when my parents became real people. I believe that my parents were better at creating the parental illusion than I could ever hope to be. All I have ever known how to be is naked to the world. Is this dope? Or is being dope about the façade that so many have become experts at creating? I want my children to be genuine. Am I setting them up for failure in this life where the genuine are always victimized? Would it be better to just make them dope? I wonder. And if so how the hell do I do that? There are so many questions.
I want my children to be warriors. I want my children to win. I want my children to be better than me. This is my truth and whether or not it is dope is of little concern. In my thirties being aloof was the seat of my charm. This no longer works for me. When I stare into the eyes of my son I realize now that being constantly aware of the world around me is the only way that I can ensure his safety. Am I dope? When I look at my daughter I see a brilliant but sensitive young woman who can do great things if I am a real presence in her life. Am I dope? My daughter continues to amaze me every time I am able to drop all of the futilities of adult life and give her my full attention. When I do this I am met with nothing short of brilliance. My son has a power that is beyond my comprehension. Although he cannot yet speak verbally he has communicated to me the essence of love and understanding since the first day I saw his beautiful face and cut his lifeline. If I was forced to define what dope is I would say that the embodiment of dopeness lies in his unwillingness to complain and face this life head on no matter what the consequences. I am truly inspired by his arrival. Am I dope? Who cares?!?

Honestly I don’t know what my former lover meant by that statement. Perhaps she foresaw a person that was more confident, self aware and introspective. Truthfully it doesn’t really matter. In the final analysis, we all have improvements that we must make. Being 40 does not make me the perfect man (just ask my fiance’). And although I am a better man now than I was then, what is most important is that in both cases I was a good man. Whether or not I am dope is purely subjective now. The only thing that matters now is that in the epic that is to be told about the generation to come I must do my part. Let the teller of the tales to come sort out the dope.