By Lucas J. Mather / Strange story in my office hours: (*”office hours” , if you don’t know, are what professors call time with students outside the class, ideally in an office –this is in my office at LMU, a liberal Jesuit university in a liberal, rich area of Los Angeles). Ok, the brief, strange… Read more »
by Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. A predictable self made trap of stiff gun control advocates when I discuss the issue in person. They’ll ask: Why do you need to be armed ? They pretend incredulity. It absolutely is pretend . I’m not sure if it’s purposeful or not . Maybe. Doesn’t really matter. They… Read more »
A Short Story at Barnes & Noble, By Lucas J. Mather If the story is untold , why would I buy the book? I said to the clerk. [Me at Barnes & Noble] This looks like the story *is* told . As I flip through it. But , if I was in a hurry ,… Read more »
Happy Advent, by Prof. Lucas J. Mather, APU Political Science Department And why do you think this group of philosophers are called The Pre-Socratics, the professor asked, holding up an Oxford University Press book by the same title. A girl raised her hand straight up, and said, because they came before Socrates. Okay, the professor… Read more »
By Lucas Mather After quizzes, at the beginning of class, I say, “I’ll probably just let you guys go after this. I mean, after the quiz. You’ll have done enough by then.” Really? Well, yeah. Look, there’s three options. I could let you go before this, in which case you’d be gone already. I could… Read more »
A Socratic Dialogue on Break Time, by Professor Mather Professor, Trump is a *nationalist*. Hitler was a *nationalist.* Lincoln was a nationalist, the professor said, as he sat back, picking apple fragments from his teeth, taking a sip of coffee. —[It was quiet a long time]— But Trump is a white nationalist, another student finally… Read more »
A Dialogue From 2013, by Lucas J. Mather Student: “But then, who are you to judge?” Prof [um, that would be me in this scenario]: “By asking who I am, do you mean, what is my name? You already forgot?” Student: “No, I mean … who are you to judge. You know.” Me: “Who am… Read more »
By Lucas J. Mather Someone said to me they were so encouraged that Georgia seems to be going blue, which she thought was impossible since it was “historically Republican.” I had to hold back laughing out loud. Or even smirking because clearly she was processing some feelings and I think it’s important to let people… Read more »
It’s Yourself, By Lucas J. Mather The way the sun hits the California Live Oaks off the 101 between the 405 and the 23 North, morning, noon or dusk — and I’ve seen them all those times, like a black man’s hand coming out of the ground, a Chernobyl hand, too many fingers spread every… Read more »
By Lucas J. Mather Professor, can I talk with you for a minute? Sure, man. I mean…woman. Sure, woman ! Hahaha. [Nervous], I just really need to know–you seemed to support Brett Kavanaugh. I’m just really curious why. Yes, ma’am, well why wouldn’t I? And the student said, because it looks like he sexually assaulted… Read more »