Why no post last week, you wonder? I forgot to write it.

I caught a brief breather this week, though; the university closed on Wednesday because students inevitably skip class to travel home for the Thanksgiving holiday. I spent the time catching up on non-teaching work! But I feel recharged and ready to tackle the final two weeks of the semester.

Found on a Black Friday shopping excursion

Here's what captured my attention this week...

I'm reading: I have given no fewer than five dramatic readings of Rebecca Saltzman's comedic masterpiece, "Listen Up, Bitches: It's Lysistrata Time!" I was also really disappointed by James Wolcott's review of The Kardashians: An American Drama in last week's New York Times. Wolcott makes no pretense at objectivity, which is fine--but why was he assigned to write on reality TV if he disdains it so? I find it even more problematic that Wolcott passes no judgment on Jerry Oppenheimer, the book's author, saving all his criticism for the powerful women who are the book's subject. Moreover, he fails to point out a problematic aspect of the book, one raised by the top review on Goodreads: "[Oppenheimer] was obsessed with the Kardashians preference for dating and marrying African Americans. He repeatedly called the Kardashian women trashy and trampy and seemed to equate the fact that they dated black men with proof of that." Shame on the Times for assigning this to a man, and for not calling him on his shit when he sent back this review. Having read most every other entry in the genre of Kardashian Kritique, I'm sure the book is not great. But it deserved a review on its merits, not on the Kardashians'.

I'm listening to: I've been grading to the smooth flows on Aminé's "Good For You."

I'm watching: A new season of The Great British Baking Show just dropped on Netflix!!! I'm already two episodes in, and it is bringing me indescribable joy.

What are you reading, listening to, or watching this week?