Sam Rocha
One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important. Bertrand Russell Read more
One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important. Bertrand Russell Read more
Yesterday we recorded Sister Stella’s entire album from noon until 10:30 pm. I’ve never completed twelve tracks in one day and, needless to say, I was exhausted. I’ll post some video later on today. All in all, it was a great musical experience and, more importantly, I got to meet and get to know some wonderful people. My Contending Modernities article for the month of June — “After Science?” — is now posted. It tries to think about whether there is... Read more
I think that words are an around-the-world, oxcart way of doing things, awkward instruments, and they will be laid aside eventually, probably sooner than we think. William S. Burroughs, from an interview in the Paris Review. Read more
We head North on Friday. Everything thusfar has gone smoothly and pleasantly and we are very close to signing a lease for what seems to be a very nice condo in Grand Forks. All in all, this is a transition that feels just right. I will surely miss some people here — first and foremost my students (you know who you are) — but they know as well as I do that Wabash is no longer a proper home for... Read more
Here’s a photo of all but two of the wonderful people playing and singing in Sister Stella’s original African-fusion debut album, Harambee. (In this pic we’re practicing “harambee” — which means “all pull together” in Swahili — poses for the album cover.) I’m mostly playing drums, but I’m also singing and playing djembe and bass on a few tracks, too. Tomorrow is our final rehearsal and we record on Corpus Christi Sunday . Read more
Here’s my second post at Formative Justice, titled “Teachers and Students Who (Don’t) Give a Shit”. There are also some very wild, beautiful, free-form writings and sounds shared at my previous post by the illustrious “Professor Iguana” (aka Eduardo Duarte), the host of the hopefully-soon-to-be radio show, Musings. Read more
Ana Maria Rocha, my youngest sister by thirteen years, is a talented young artist who has taken on an impressive and challenging first commissioned project: illustrating a philosophical book, my philosophical book. This past Christmas break, I decided to write “A Primer in Philosophy,” an introductory essay for students in my philosophy courses. Since then, the essay has ballooned into a short manuscript and, with lots of help from a select group of friends at Wabash, the new book-to-be (titled... Read more
I just got my copy of The Liquid Crystal Project, Part 3. If you saw the YouTube video posted a few days ago, with saxophonist Eddie Bayard, you will recall him saying that this was one of four of his favorites sessions. (Another one of them was my EP.) This group was put together by the hip-hop artist J Rawls, with friends Eddie Bayard and the amazing B Jazz and other regulars and guests. This is the band to hear... Read more
Since leaving Vox Nova, I’ve picked up two newer blogs I will be contributing to regularly: 1. Contending Modernities doesn’t keep a group of regular contributors, but I plan on sending them an essay every month. My first post there was titled “Beneath the Healthcare Wars: difficult questions of living and dying”. 2. I’m a regular contributor to Formative Justice, a blog dedicated to questions and ideas of education and culture. My first entry — posted today — is titled,... Read more
Abortion is a divisive topic that has deteriorated into convenient and oversimplified conversations on the two sides of the debate. This brilliant analysis by Jon A. Shield, titled “Abortion and the Limits of Philosophy,” is the best I’ve read in a very long time. It may be the best essay on the subject I’ve seen online. Please read it. Read more
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