Tag Archives: literacy

I didn’t grow up in your country

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Sometimes my college students need to set me straight about schooling in North America. I didn’t grow up in your country, I confess. Students scratch their heads: how can you be part American Indian and be from somewhere else?

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Journalistic Schadenfreude

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

As news broke in February when NBC anchor Brian Williams got caught in a reporting fib, journalists and critics rushed to pass judgment. The New York Times, for example, packed the newspaper with stories and editorials that carved a wide … Continue reading →

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When individual choice causes harm

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Vaccine lunacy is the way Frank Bruni described a recent outbreak of measles in California: why? Parents decided to withhold vaccinations from their children. Children are taken ill with a disease that was once wiped from our memories–a disease that … Continue reading →

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Uncle Silverback

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Uncles are important in my family. My mother had two brothers and my father had four, and uncles would hang out at our house, bringing doughnuts and helping with weekend chores. In the Osage language the word for father is … Continue reading →

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Transparent worlds, murky words

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

My sweetheart and I started a new tradition during our travels by taking in the work of local artists. A few years ago, our Turkish friends urged us to visit the Istanbul Modern, where we saw splendid work of regional … Continue reading →

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Fitting the data to your theory  

Posted on December 28, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

In the 19th century scientists thought personality was a function of the brain’s landscape. Today psychologists scan images of the brain, looking for areas that map feelings and sensations, trying to draw linkages between thoughts with the physicality of the … Continue reading →

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Something about Jersey

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

When we travel my husband and I like to pick out the accents and guess homelands of strangers. We can ferret out Dutch in a snap (we’ve both spent time in Holland) and Brits and Aussies are easy to identify. … Continue reading →

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Clearspeak

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Most folks shake their heads and slowly walk away when I begin complaining about poor writing. Folks agree, but shrug their shoulders. Not worth their time. My Old School ways are woven through my core, thanks to feisty newsmen and … Continue reading →

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Part I: Packing values into value

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Our local grocery store has launched a strategy to link values with value. Usually when you hear a store talk about value the idea is that you get your dollar’s worth. In this case, the grocery store is an upscale … Continue reading →

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Synecdoche Moms

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Remember the Mom Jeans fauxmercial on Saturday Night Live? In case you missed it, the clip shows a clutch of women wearing elastic-waisted blue jeans necessary for the woman who needs some give in her tummy and derriere. The poochy … Continue reading →

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