The Why

Obviously, the picture to the right is not me. I am not quite that distinguished or intelligent-looking. The picture is a representation of what this space could be. This blog was created to fulfill an assignment for a class in my pursuit of a Masters degree in Media Literacy Education. The purpose is to explore my reactions to various media that I participate in, view, or experience. And a turn of the century Russian is the perfect symbol of that, right?

Right. Anton Chekhov is the epitome of an artist and a compassionate human. His works treat their subjects in a loving manner, and explore what it truly means to be human. How we speak of how good we can be, of our dreams and ambitions, but can get sidetracked in living up to those expectations. How we can be surprised or disappointed at every turn, and how art can cause us to be shocked, touched, amused, and intellectually-engaged, sometimes all at the same time.

Chekhov never lost his understanding of what drove him as a writer. Perhaps his most famous quote is, "I hate falseness and coercion in all their forms . . . . Pharisaism, stupidity and arbitrariness reign not merely in merchants' houses and police stations: I see them in science, in literature, among the young. That is why I have no particular passion for either policemen or butchers or scientists or writers or the young. I consider brand-names and labels a prejudice. My holy of holies is the human body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love, and absolute freedom, freedom from force and falseness in whatever form they express themselves. That's the platform I'd subscribe to if I were a great artist."

Okay, so it is a bit of hero worship. So, I named my firstborn son Anton. But in carrying this hero worship to this blog, I hope to also denounce falseness and coersion, and to extoll that which celebrates human intelligence, talent, inspiration, and love. Perhaps by doing that, I can lead my students to approach media the same way in their lives.