#CloseReading for today: "A new Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows that just 23% of Americans believe that Donald Trump should be allowed to serve as president again if convicted of a “serious” crime." "Just"? Are you kidding? That's "just" about 1 out of every 4 people polled! There's no just about it. https://www.yahoo.com/news/poll-can-trump-win-the-white-house-if-convicted-of-a-serious-crime-183436643.html

#CloseReading for today: Can we please agree that "woke" is a #verb (I woke up and wanted #coffee immediately), and not an #adjective and most certainly not a #noun, as #DeSantis is now insisting on. And once we've agreed to that, can we then agree that in its current usage #woke is a #synonym for #antifascist? @atrupar, @jayrosen_nyu

Today's #CloseReading: "at times" took on the vibe of a campaign rally. No, "at times." "dragging it to the political center." No, to the far right (where "alternative facts" live, where #EJCarroll is defamed again, where the moderator is called "nasty"). “I don’t need people to be loyal to Chris Licht. I need people to be loyal to CNN,” Licht told Alberta during one of their final conversations." No, don't refer to yourself in the 3rd person. What about loyalty to facts? https://thehill.com/homenews/4031870-cnn-ceo-chris-licht-says-boss-david-zaslav-has-my-back/

#Closereading for today. You must be reading a different book than I: "if a theme emerged, it was the unmistakable reassertion of the political center." For context: the #debtceiling was raised 3x under #Trump with #default not being an option. The theme is an unmistakable lurch to the right. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/05/30/debt-limit-deal-power-centrists/

My first book will be coming out with Cornell University Press next year. It's titled "Poet-Monks: The Invention of Buddhist Poetry in Late Medieval China." There's finally a webpage for it, so it feels "real" enough to announce.
https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501773839/poet-monks/#bookTabs=1

#PoetMonks combines #CloseReading, #DigitalHumanities, and #Manuscript studies to re-examine the role of #Buddhism in #Medieval #Chinese #poetry and rethink #literaryhistory.

Cover art (and much more!) to come soon.

@sino_lit

#Closereading of the day: “I just want these away from our kids,” he said. “We’re trying to prevent students from being exposed to books that are absolutely raw pornography.” Exactly how is this person defining the difference between "pornography" and "absolutely raw pornography"? Is #Ishmael sleeping with #Queequeg pornography, but #Quentin's imaginings with #Caddy absolutely raw pornography? #Melville, #Faulkner, #litstudies https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/05/18/school-librarians-jailed-banned-books/

#closereading for today. The headline is "DeSantis loves conservatism. Why doesn’t it love him back?" He is a radical, who is burning down the house. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/05/04/ron-desantis-conservatism-federal-reserve-ukraine/

#closereading for today. The headline is "DeSantis loves conservatism. Why doesn’t it love him back?" He is a radical, who is burning down the house. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/05/04/ron-desantis-conservatism-federal-reserve-ukraine/

#Closereading for today: "Nonsense" is a word that minimizes the lethality of his words. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/05/02/trump-town-hall-cnn/ (behind a paywall)

#Closereading for today: The word "nonsense" minimizes the tragic consequences we've already witnessed and the ones to come. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/05/02/trump-town-hall-cnn/ (behind a paywall)

today's #closereading. "Abbott’s efforts to focus on immigration have received the most national attention, though, through his policy of transporting immigrants — those here legally and those without documentation — to other parts of the country." Transporting or kidnapping? "Had only the victims been citizens, the shooter’s status would have been included. This is how the rhetorical calculus works." Or this is how hate works. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/05/01/abbott-texas-illegal-immigrants-shooting/

today's #closereading. "Abbott’s efforts to focus on immigration have received the most national attention, though, through his policy of transporting immigrants — those here legally and those without documentation — to other parts of the country." Transporting or kidnapping? "Had only the victims been citizens, the shooter’s status would have been included. This is how the rhetorical calculus works." Or this is how hate works. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/05/01/abbott-texas-illegal-immigrants-shooting/

#Closereading for today: "Yet after the speaker pulled it off." Define "it." Please, please define "it." Do better #Politico. Provide content. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/27/white-house-regroups-mccarthy-debt-ceiling-success-00094273

#Closereading for today: "Yet after the speaker pulled it off." Define "it." Please, please define "it." Do better #Politico. Provide content. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/27/white-house-regroups-mccarthy-debt-ceiling-success-00094273

#closereading for today. "Now in office, she's taken a very strong stance against bills to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors, to ban minors from attending drag shows and to define sex as binary in state code." What is the difference between a strong stance and a very strong stance? Either you're for the care or you aren't. Do better #NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/04/26/1172158461/montana-gop-transgender-zooey-zephyr-punishment-banned-speaking-lgbtq

#closereading for today. "Now in office, she's taken a very strong stance against bills to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors, to ban minors from attending drag shows and to define sex as binary in state code." What is the difference between a strong stance and a very strong stance? Either you're for the care or you aren't. Do better #NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/04/26/1172158461/montana-gop-transgender-zooey-zephyr-punishment-banned-speaking-lgbtq

#closereading for today: "The back-and-forth about Lemon’s departure stood in contrast to the approach on Fox, where on Monday evening, just hours after Carlson’s firing, fill-in host Brian Kilmeade briefly addressed Carlson’s usual viewing audience about the news." Your article doesn't elucidate the "contrast," unless you're referring to the off-air contrast. But that isn't clear. Please do/write better #WashingtonPost. "https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/04/25/cnn-this-morning-don-lemon-harlow-collins/

#closereading for today: "The back-and-forth about Lemon’s departure stood in contrast to the approach on Fox, where on Monday evening, just hours after Carlson’s firing, fill-in host Brian Kilmeade briefly addressed Carlson’s usual viewing audience about the news." Your article doesn't elucidate the "contrast," unless you're referring to the off-air contrast. But that isn't clear. Please do/write better #WashingtonPost. "https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/04/25/cnn-this-morning-don-lemon-harlow-collins/

#closereading for today. "Democrats, meanwhile, stubbornly refuse to negotiate, which they justify with the specious argument that there’s no link between the debt ceiling and annual budget deficits." Please explain why a negotiation is necessary only when Republicans are in charge of Congress. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/04/24/jared-golden-congressional-debt-compromise/

#closereading for today. "Democrats, meanwhile, stubbornly refuse to negotiate, which they justify with the specious argument that there’s no link between the debt ceiling and annual budget deficits." Please explain why a negotiation is necessary only when Republicans are in charge of Congress. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/04/24/jared-golden-congressional-debt-compromise/