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Ben Hoyle, "Publisher makes lite work of the classics," TimesOnline, 14 April, reports on Orion Books' new line of classics, cut by 40% to make them more appealing to modern readers. I confess to having read, many times over, my brother's large collection of Classics Illustrated after World War II, but they peaked my interest in subsequently reading the real thing. The Orion short editions seem unlikely to have that effect.

Kazim Ali, "Culture of Fear: Poetry Professor Becomes Terror Suspect," Alternet, 24 April, describes his experience of recycling while being brown. Hat tip.

Anthony Grafton, "Clio and the Bloggers," Perspectives, May, is an introduction to the history blogosphere by the Vice President of the AHA's Professional Division. Grafton understands it well and it's wonderful to have his public recognition of so many of Cliopatria's friends. I've learned much from Professor Grafton's participation in discussions at several blogs. Among other things, he's an editor of the Journal of the History of Ideas, which has recently launched its own blog. We'll be adding it to Cliopatria's History Blogroll.

Tamar Lewin, "Dean of Admissions at M. I. T. Resigns," NYT, 26 April; and Zachary M. Seward, "MIT Admissions Dean Resigns; Admits Misleading School on Credentials," Harvard Crimson, 26 April, tell the sad story of M. I. T.'s respected Marilee Jones, who fabricated degrees during her 28 years at the school. I am deeply ambivalent about this kind of punishment. I've often written about Will Herberg here at Cliopatria. Like Jones, he'd fabricated all of his academic degrees. So, on that level, Will was an academic fraud. But he was much more than that. Will Herberg was the finest teacher I ever had -- more learned than any other. He was my rabbi. I can't imagine that Drew University would have been a better place without him. I can't imagine that Mt. Holyoke would be a better place without Joe Ellis. I suspect that M. I. T. won't be a better place now that Jones is no longer there.

Posted on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 12:16 AM | Comments (5) | Return

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