Sunday, November 11, 2012

Fair Weather

Three years ago, almost to the day, I started The Bewildered Eye. But recently three people I love and trust have suggested that the energy I'm directing here might be better directed toward other, more urgent work.

And in truth my heart's not in it anymore. I've grown tired of this voice—of its possibilities; I no longer require the man who made it. All literary voices are inventions: The Bewildered Eye's invented voice is mercifully obsolete.

Obama's re-election now nailed the Eye's coffin closed.

Over the coming months I'll revisit what I've made here, and I'll probably refine some of the posts a bit, and I might create some kind of "Selected Works" label for the writing I continue to approve of. But I won't add to it; I consider it complete—finished—

But for this: Thank you for listening.

Update: I haven't done much refining, but the "Selected Works" label is now in place.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Yes, Please

A note to friends & family who are California voters:

A couple of weeks ago my dean at Chabot College informed me that my classes are on the chopping block if Prop. 30 doesn't pass. The district will be eliminating classes for over 2000 students, which means it will be eliminating the teachers who teach them. In all likelihood, I will be one of those teachers.

A week ago, Lincoln applied to Cal-Poly. But if Prop. 30 doesn't pass, the CA State schools will cut the number of incoming freshmen that they'll be accepting by 20,000 students—which might include him.

No, I don't want to pay an extra quarter of a percent in sales taxes for four years. But the long-term cost to the state—and to my family—will be far higher if we allow six billion dollars in cuts to education THIS YEAR ALONE.

We can debate how we got here until we're blue in the face. But the public education system in our state is in crisis. I urge you to help save it. Please join me in voting YES on Prop. 30.