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July 30, 2005
Do it yourself: Blog
Any visitors to this blog that are Seton Hill University students are eligible to own their own blogs.
Seton Hill's "blogosphere" has been active for almost two whole years (starting in September of 2003), and has bloggers from all classes--senior, junior, sophomore, and freshman. Some students receive a blog as they enter a course (particularly a course taken with Dr. Jerz) and some ask for one on their own. Some students maintain their blog for purely scholastic activity while others, like me, make their blogs more personal.
To get a closer look at the blogosphere, visit the New Media Journalism blog. This page, which is currently being redesigned by a student, has been a center of activity since its creation--notice "Recent Posts" and "Recent Comments" on the navigation bar. Feel free to visit!
Become part of the blogging community at SHU by emailing Dr. Jerz, using the link on the sidebar under "Contact."
Posted by KarissaKilgore at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)
July 23, 2005
The Infinite Mind
A visitor to Dust Jacket provided a link to a special report on Asperger's syndrome through NPR called The Infinite Mind.
I don't often have the opportunity to listen to the radio (#1 reason: the speakers in my car don't work), but I just may have to find the time to sit and listen in sometime soon. Other topics covered in this show include writer's block, dyslexia, depression, and multitasking. (Fascinating information on each of these topics; I especially appreciated the section on dyslexia, as I have dealt with that on a personal level.)
Special thanks to Joanna, who is a Professor of English at Montgomery College in Maryland. Evidently, Joanna isn't the only one that's noticed our Dust Jacket, as we've been cited on the Community College English blog as well.
Posted by KarissaKilgore at 11:19 PM | Comments (1)
July 22, 2005
Taking the Tips
Given that this book has been out for about two years, there's a great amount of feedback in the form of reviews and critiques. I've been sent a few tips to some personal reviews by bloggers.
Livre d'Or (which is French for "Golden Book" or, litereally, "Book of Gold") gives an account of the reader's reasons for reading and liking the book. This blogger says she was skeptical of the idea of Christopher's role as an autistic teen, but that she was brought around due to the book's "clear-eyed view of disability." (Sidenote: I was surprised to see that this is a LiveJournal, as they are generally listed as personal "teen" blogs with no content. Here we see a post marking an exception to that rule.)
Dr. Jerz sent me this link as I began this project, and I was waiting for the proper moment to include it here on Dust Jacket. Interestingly enough, Livre d'Or also linked to this blog citing it as knowledgeable. (I assume that the two bloggers are friends and have linked to each other's work to gain readership.)
The blogger has experience working with autistic children, specifically boys.
I was hugely impressed with the way in which Mark Haddon accurately captures the misunderstandings, novel interpretations and unconventional outlook that are so characteristic of people with Asperger syndrome. The narrative, told from Christopher’s perspective, is utterly brilliant, very funny, and will strongly resonate with anyone who has spent time with anyone with AS. --Hanna, join-the-dots
I also came across a mention of the book on a site called "Enpsychlopedia," through Psych Central. The site uses the same information found on the Wikipedia site for the book. (Be warned that this link contains some spoilers.)
Found through the BBC "Ouch!" weblog for the disabled, I found this "glowing" review through Guardian Unlimited Books.
And finally, although entirely redundant and childish, this listing of the book caught my eye because of the international response it has garnered. The site it geared towards a youinger audience, but I never mind hearing what children have to say about books I have read/am reading--frequently their perspectives can be more general, but unmarred by closed thinking we adults tend to develop.
Posted by KarissaKilgore at 12:48 PM | Comments (0)
July 18, 2005
News Flash: Autistic Tee-Ball Player Targeted
Recent news in the Pittsburgh area (specifically Fayette County, directly south from Westmoreland County which is where SHU is located) has said that an autistic boy on a tee-ball team was hit by a fellow player who was supposedly told that he would receive money for doing this.
Who told him he would be paid to hit the boy? The coach.
(Above link is to the Post Gazette. Here is a link to the Pittsburgh Tribune's article on the same story. Also New York Daily News.)
Posted by KarissaKilgore at 07:08 PM | Comments (5)