Being Seen By Rembrandt
This was my midlife crisis project — a study of the great self-portrait by Rembrandt in the Frick Gallery in New York. In this piece, a middle-aged man contemplates a self-portrait Rembrandt painted of himself in middle age. Winner of the 2002 Award for Best Creative Project from the Visual Communication Division of AEJMC. Contains my essay on Joseph Raffael’s painting, Pomo.
Wilhelm Reich — Imperfect Master
A measured tribute to one of the innovative geniuses of 20th century psychology, Wilhelm Reich, who pioneered a number of ideas that continue to be influential today, but who died in a U.S. federal prision in 1957 and had his books burned by the U.S. government.
An Old Pecan Tree is Cut Down
A short photo-essay on the cutting down of a tree I had known for 54 years.
Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful–A Commercial in Context
A long article exploring the implications of a single line in a single TV commercial (“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful”). In this piece, I ponder the structures created in the human psyche by our capacity to imagine ideals that we cannot achieve–and the implications of advertising’s exploitation of those ideals. An analysis of “envy” constitutes a significant part of the argument. Originally a refereed presentation at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication; a short version of this paper appeared as a chapter in Images in Language, Media, and Mind, edited by Roy Fox (National Council of Teachers of English Press, 1994).
Advantages of the Xerox 820 Microcomputer over the IBM PC.
In 1982, I was asked to write an analysis that compared the Xerox 820 microcomputer with the newly released IBM PC. I got it completely wrong. This piece is a reminder of the dangers of making well-informed predictions.
A Bill of Rights for Normal Neurotics
For decades, I listened to people who insisted that human beings are defective and need to labor to improve themselves. This humorous manifesto stands up for the right to be imperfect.
The Monster Who Was Already There
This booklet was written and illustrated around 1974, though never published, while I was involved as a citizen in transportation issues in Tallahassee, Florida, shortly after the energy crisis of 1973.
Lost for 30 years, the piece was found and is published here (March 2003), without changes or apologies.
How to Make a Fly Trap from a Quart Jar
A simple method for catching flies by punching a few holes in a jar lid. Useful if you have a problem with flies on the porch, around the dog food, etc. Illustrated.