Jeffrey R. Villines, SFF author and scholar
About once a month, I donate blood, platelets, or plasma. As an encouragement for others to donate, I’ve written up a little about the process, along with some advice on donating.
Continue reading “I Donate Platelets and Plasma, and Here’s What That’s Like”
No big description this time. I think the title covers it.
Continue reading “The Man Who Accidentally Wandered Into Love, Actually”
I’ve really gotten into Breath of the Wild recently, and am already excited for the sequel. When tracking down rumors of what the new game is going to be like, it can be hard to separate the real information from supposition and outright lies. This article will make this even more difficult, by adding a bunch of self-avowed bullshit!
Continue reading “Newly Made-Up Rumors for Breath of the Wild 2!”
The recent Batman adaptation makes braver decisions than any other Batman film to come out in my adulthood (with the possible exception of Lego Batman. But that bravery doesn’t come from its increased darkness, but it’s increased dorkiness.
Teaching is replete with its frustrations. This was true before the Pandemic, and is even more so now. Here is a running list of things I have to remind myself of throughout the semester, so as to be ever cognizant of the needs of my students and their teacher. I intend to keep this list updated and republish it every term; any teachers in my audience are encouraged to post comments.
When I was an active and devoted Boy Scout, I was asked a question about the Scout Law that I couldn’t adequately answer at the time. This is the answer that occurred to me years later, and I’m only now writing it down.
As much as I enjoy the Wheel of Time adaptation on Amazon, there was one small (?) change to the starting circumstances of one of the characters that did not sit right with me. Whereas many of the changes in the show streamline the storytelling and humanize the characters, this one undermined one of the character’s most distinct character traits.
Continue reading “Perrin Done Wrong”
Every year I watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and every year I wonder about that one toy who never tells why she’s on the Island of Misfit Toys. Perhaps you’ve wondered, too. This is the story of a man who wondered too much.
Continue reading “Secrets of the Island (of Misfit Toys)”
“Show, don’t tell,” goes the old adage. Thankfully, that truism is losing power. One of the early episodes of The Wheel of Time does an excellent job demonstrating how those two modes do not have to be mutually exclusive. (This will contain some light spoilers, but only for the first episode.)
The survey course or anthology course is a staple of beginning literary studies. At many institutions, these courses are based on national canons and periods. However, I maintain the period/nation course is better suited to English majors, and general students need a completely different set-up.
Jeff (in the bowtie!) 