Digging Deep
The Intellect U Well Journeys: Afrofuturism book discussion at the African American History Research Center in Houston, Texas last weekend was a blast and a blessing! Many thanks to Deborah “D.E.E.P.” Mouton, James Stancil, Tonya Stancil, Davin Stancil, Suzanne Simpson, Lily Brewer, everyone at the Gregory School, and everyone who came out.
Deep Mouton’s book, Black Chameleon (Henry Holt & Co, 2023), takes hefty strides toward creating a Southern African-American mythology, its horror tempered by hilarity. Talking with her about it, Boogie Down Predictions, and our views on Afrofuturism, hip-hop culture, writing, poetry, performance, and scholarship was a privilege and a party. I hope we get to continue it sometime soon.
New Interview:
If you’re at all interested in my take on teaching college, there’s an interview with me in the October issue of the University of North Florida’s Marketing and Communications Inside newsletter.
Here’s an excerpt:
Describe your teaching style and philosophy.
Ultimately, what I strive to create in a classroom, especially one teaching communication, is a space where the tone and style are determined by the discourse of those present. I see each class of students as a community. I am merely a guide.
How do you engage your students?
I tell them on the first day that I don't think teachers are smarter than students and that I believe learning and fun are not mutually exclusive. Using examples from their media, their experiences, and their lives is paramount to my approach. I do my best to meet them where they are.
What are your current research interests/previous interests?
Online I often use the tagline “I marshal the middle between Mathers and McLuhan,” which is of course intended to be cute and catchy, but it also sums up my research interests. On one side, I am interested in figurative language use, specifically allusions in media. I have found these especially prevalent in hip-hop lyrics. On the other side, I am interested in technology and media theory. While I investigate these two areas separately, I have found the space where they overlap especially interesting.
Read the whole thing on the UNF Inside site!
Faculty Book of the Month!
Different Waves, Different Depths received the UNF College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Book of the Month Award for October!
They write,
Dr. Christopher, a brilliant instructor from the School of Communication, brings you a captivating collection of nine stories that push the boundaries of genre. From mind-bending sci-fi to heartwarming romance and even a touch of reality TV, this book has it all!
If you don’t know, now you know.
As always, thank you for your continued interest and support.
And peace to everyone who’s keeping it clean this month. There’s nothing bad about it!
More soon,
-royc.
http://roychristopher.com