Author Archives: Katherine Wikoff

About Katherine Wikoff

I am a college professor at Milwaukee School of Engineering, where I teach literature, film studies, political science, and communication. I also volunteer with a Milwaukee homeless sanctuary, Repairers of the Breach, as chair of the Communications and Fund Development Committee.

The White Sea, Parted

Posted on February 19, 2021 by Katherine Wikoff

The view of our front walk this week. Doesn’t that wall of snow look a bit like the wall of water left by the parting of the Red Sea in Cecil B. DeMille’s 1923 version of The Ten Commandments? DeMille … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies and film, Photography, Popular culture | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Paw prints etched in ice (and in my heart❤️)

Posted on February 18, 2021 by Katherine Wikoff

I love the abstract images resulting from close-up views of this very mundane subject. A tribute to dogs everywhere who must brave the elements every day to take care of their canine business. With a special shout-out to Coco❤️

Posted in Life, Photography | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

February evening sunlight

Posted on February 3, 2021 by Katherine Wikoff

This is what greeted me yesterday as I left my office in the Grohmann Museum at MSOE shortly before 5:00. The reflected streaks of orange sunlight across the pavement seemed very cheerful to me. And at this time of year, … Continue reading →

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PSA – How to save your phone from a watery grave

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Katherine Wikoff

This WIRED article (link HERE) makes clear that using a hairdryer and/or putting your phone in a bag of rice are not good ideas. Your best strategy (my take on the article): Turn your phone off ASAP to prevent short … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Photography, Technology | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Writing Exercise – “Protest Night”

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Katherine Wikoff

Here’s an exercise from late October or early November. I can’t remember which member of our writing group assigned this exercise, but it’s another taken from Ursula K. Le Guin’s Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and reading, Creativity, Life, Writing, blogging | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Key Book Publishing Paths: 2021–2022

Posted on January 5, 2021 by Katherine Wikoff

Since 2013, I have been regularly updating this informational chart about the key book publishing paths. It is available as a PDF download—ideal for … The Key Book Publishing Paths: 2021–2022 Jane Friedman writes, speaks, and teaches online courses about all aspects … Continue reading →

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Writing Exercise – “Heart in a Box”

Posted on January 2, 2021 by Katherine Wikoff

Another writing-group exercise, this one from the end of last March. What an eerie, different time to remember. We understood almost nothing of Covid/COVID-19 (which we were still calling “the coronavirus”) and were newly under lockdown in Wisconsin, the governor’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing, blogging | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Empty old-fashioned underground parking garage

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Katherine Wikoff

Photo of my parking garage taken October 28, 2020, at 7:31 p.m. (thank you, iPhone for keeping such good records😄), after office staff had left for the day. Usually there would still be plenty of cars here belonging to profs … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Photography | Tagged | 4 Comments

Nancy E. Hatfield Memories, Part 1 (1974)

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Katherine Wikoff

Howard B. Lee, former Attorney General of West Virginia, provided this account of Nancy Hatfield (widow of Cap) in the early 1970s: HATFIELD WOMEN. … Nancy E. Hatfield Memories, Part 1 (1974) From the blog of Brandon Ray Kirk, who … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 4 Comments

Writing Exercise – “Being Gorgeous” (An Alliterative Island Ghost Story)

Posted on December 26, 2020 by Katherine Wikoff

This week’s writing exercise is another one from Ursula K. Le Guin’s marvelous book on writing, Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story (Amazon link HERE, in case you’re interested in checking it out). Our … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Writing, blogging | Tagged , , | 3 Comments