5 Dostoyevsky Works You Want To Learn More About
In my latest book, The Gambler Wife: A True Story of Love, Risk, and the Woman Who Saved Dostoyevsky, I tell the story of Dostoyevsky’s second wife, Anna, who was indispensable in helping the great author overcome a long list of personal, business, and literary struggles. It was with her help that he was able…
Read More6 Short, Accessible Books to Get You Started in Russian Literature
An Introduction to Russian Literature People who haven’t read much Russian literature probably have at least one preconceived notion of the genre — that they can expect a long book. And that’s understandable, considering that the works most often referenced as masterpieces in the field are indeed intimidatingly long. Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov and Tolstoy’s…
Read MoreHow Did Anna Dostoyevsky Become A Brave Russian Publishing Pioneer?
Fyodor Dostoyevsky is one of the giants of world literature, a writer whose work is still widely read, enjoyed, and debated, more than 140 years after his death. But even he admitted that he wasn’t much of a businessman—and he lived much of his adult life as if trying to prove the point. Thankfully, he…
Read MoreDostoyevsky on the Importance of Community. How to Create It in the Classroom
Creating community in the classroom has been crucial this past year, particularly at the university level. We should be thankful for all the ways that we’ve been able to remain in contact over the last 18 months, even if they aren’t ideal. From Zoom calls to masking to social distancing, we’ve done our best to…
Read MoreHere’s Why It’s Important To Protect Voting Rights for Everyone
The fight for fair and equitable elections is front and center in the country’s political debate right now. States are rightly being held accountable for systems that have not been accessible for far too many eligible voters. But few leaders are talking about a group of people who are routinely denied the right to vote…
Read MoreDostoyevsky’s Honeymoon to Forget Is Fascinating. Read On…
Honeymoon Drama – Dostoyevsky and Anna Every vacation has its highs and lows, even a honeymoon. But you’d be hard-pressed to find a honeymoon with more drama than the trip taken by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and his new wife, Anna, soon after their marriage in 1867. What was meant to be a three-month getaway abroad for…
Read MoreWhy Giving Everyone a Second Chance Is Important
Which crimes deserve to be punished by incarceration is a question that’s getting a lot of attention right now. And rightly so, as 2.3 million people are now living in America’s state and federal prison system. While reducing this number is an ongoing concern, everyone can agree on one thing — once someone is released…
Read MoreHere’s Why Creativity is More Important Than Ever
What kind of career comes to mind when you think of creativity? Maybe acting, writing, or filmmaking? In the past, these have been described as the “creative fields,” as opposed to disciplines like business, law, math, or science. You don’t hear them described that way quite as often anymore, but the implication that creativity isn’t…
Read MoreWhat Do Grades Mean And Why Are They Important To Us?
What Do Grades Mean? With so many changes in the classroom over the last year, it’s understandable that some teachers might not be excited to dive into the debate of how we grade students. For many, it’s a process that they have developed over years of trial and error, and asking them to reexamine their…
Read MoreAs Educators, What Can We Learn from the Attack on the Capitol?
A week after protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, the pictures are still hard to fathom. While peaceful demonstrations are rightfully a part of life in Washington, this incident is unlike anything we’ve seen in two centuries. The Senate chamber was breached by people wearing combat gear and carrying zip ties. A Confederate…
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