Author Archives: Katherine Wikoff

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About Katherine Wikoff

I am a college professor (PhD in English, concentration rhetoric) at Milwaukee School of Engineering, where I teach film and media studies, political science, digital society, digital storytelling, writing for digital media, and communication. While fragments of my teaching and scholarship interests may quite naturally meander over to my blog, this space is intended to function as a creative outlet, not as part of my professional practice. Opinions are my own, etc.

Fun with the Periodic Table (and math)

Posted on July 7, 2012 by Katherine Wikoff

What is it about the Periodic Table that inspires so many take-offs? Look at all these fun makeovers: The Periodic Table of Typefaces The Periodic Table song, “The Elements,” by my favorite mid-20th-century musical humorist (!) Tom Lehrer.  See it sung … Continue reading →

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Barefoot summers

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Katherine Wikoff

Driving home yesterday, we saw a woman crossing the street, barefoot and limping.  Was she hurt?  More likely, we suspected, she was reacting to the asphalt under her feet.  With the outdoor temperature hitting 100°, the street probably felt like a hot … Continue reading →

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Thoughts on “Blade Runner” thirty years later

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Katherine Wikoff

I recently joined a LinkedIn group called “World Cinema Critics” to be part of a community engaged in serious film discussions.  Lately we’ve had a comment thread going on the subject of Blade Runner, a movie I hadn’t seen since its theatrical release … Continue reading →

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Little Free Library

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Katherine Wikoff

Have you heard of the “Little Free Library” yet? Boxes like birdhouses full of books are popping up in front yards around the metro Milwaukee area.  My own neighborhood has several. What a nice idea this is . . . … Continue reading →

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Leaving the nest

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Katherine Wikoff

One of the baby chickadees left the nest early this morning, around 5:30 a.m.  (See video of the nest I shot about a month ago here.) Shortly after letting the dogs back in, I glanced out the kitchen window and … Continue reading →

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Sullivan reinstated at University of Virginia

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Katherine Wikoff

The big news this afternoon in the world of higher education is the reinstatement of Dr. Teresa Sullivan as president of the University of Virginia.  Two weeks ago she resigned under pressure, igniting an explosive response from that institution’s students, faculty, and alumni, … Continue reading →

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Rave review for Pixar’s “Brave”!

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Katherine Wikoff

First, a quick disclaimer: WordPress won’t let me use italics in the headline, which is why I’ve put quotation marks around the title “Brave.”  I usually italicize titles, as called for by the style guide for my field, the MLA (Modern Language … Continue reading →

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Beautiful fluid mechanics

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Katherine Wikoff

I added cream to my coffee this morning and watched, mesmerized, as the white streak slowly triangulated and formed individual spirals, each of which then continued triangulating, until at last a giant, unified spiral sprawled across the surface of the liquid. … Continue reading →

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Pixar’s (nearly) unbroken streak

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Katherine Wikoff

I want Brave to be good.   My younger daughter and I have a standing date every year to see the newest Pixar movie during its first weekend in theaters.  Already today I’ve seen so-so reviews for Brave, but don’t want … Continue reading →

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Perspectives on depth perception as metaphor in film

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Katherine Wikoff

I took this photo of the hallway outside my hotel room in San Antonio last week. I loved how the striped carpet and the alternating patterns of light and shadow added to the telescoping effect created by the distance perspective. … Continue reading →

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