Second
Thoughts
A home for personal meditations, critiques of art and literature, politics, sketches, and deconstructions that dive beneath the surface of thought. Experiment with form here, relate with current events, read and talk about a book you’ve never read or perhaps want to read, and criticize something, anything, everything.
Marty Supremely Annoying
It never feels like Marty is in true danger. There is always the impression that he’ll work his way out of the corner he is backed into, and in the end, that’s exactly what happens. The emotional beats of the story fall short without any real tension. Marty makes one stupid, egotistical decision after another, realizes he’s in a bad situation, then gets up and gets himself out of it. Over and over again.
“Polymerizing is Not Resurrection,” A close reading of Pynchon's “Gravity's Rainbow."
Gravity’s Rainbow is about a lot of things. It explores paranoia and conspiracy, culpability and morality. And all of this is set against the backdrop of Europe before, during, and directly after World War II. It’s dense and disturbing and devastating and somehow hilarious. It’s also all about plastic and how evil it is.
Where Do We Go From Here? The State of English Education
We live in an age of information abundance. Open any social media, any news (I use that term liberally) website, any Google search, and you’ll notice the overwhelm of informational noise. With so much distraction, it’s vital that our students learn to discern between trustworthy and untrustworthy sources and to reflect on how bias and motive can influence the information they consume. Without getting into specifics, we’ve seen the faltering of this skill taken to extremes in recent years—people falling victim to disinformation without considering the incentives or motivations behind their consumption.
I’m done giving AI the benefit of the doubt
The essay I was working on was inspired by N+1’s really excellent polemic editorial titled, “Large Language Muddle.” Part cultural commentary and part call to arms, the editorial rails against the creep of generative AI in society and posits an alternative approach straight out of the Luddites’ playbook. It was empowering. I was so ready to write my own screed against generative AI; I’d argue that it was the natural progression of the focus-group forged and hyper-managed style of communication so many of us find ourselves confined to upon entering the professional sphere. I’d deride the hellscape that is LinkedIn and the strange pseudo-human, algorithm-serving language it requires us to use.
‘Adolescence’ and the Second Screen Dilemma
Netflix paved the way, inviting viewers to view films on demand and in innumerable amounts, from the comfort of their own homes. It was no longer necessary to buy tickets, organize plans, and make the drive to your local cinema. Just sit on the couch, sift through options, pick one, and turn it off if you don’t enjoy. That last bit was the killer.