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Spy lit
In a Sept. 2 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, David Hellman, collection
development coordinator at the J. Paul Leonard Library, reviews "Tree
of Smoke" by Denis Johnson. He writes, " 'Tree of Smoke' is
a distinctly literary type of spy novel and political thriller, owing
more to John le Carré and the Bible (from which it draws its name)
than to Ian Fleming and 'The Bourne Identity'."
In the spotlight: LGBT studies
Sociology
Professor Jennifer Reck and Human Sexuality Studies Program Director
Gilbert Herdt
commented in the Aug. 31 San Jose Mercury News
on the growth of LGBT studies across the nation. The article cited
SF State as "one of the first U.S. universities to plumb the scholarly
potential of gay lives."
Reck stated that, despite the growth
of LGBT studies, the area is still not widely accepted in academia -- even
in the liberal San Francisco Bay Area. "I had advisers [at UC
Santa Cruz] actually tell me I shouldn't study this area because it
would not make me marketable for
the future," she said. "Luckily, I had others that were very
sympathetic, who said, 'If we never study these areas, how are things
going to change?'"
Herdt commented that LGBT studies are becoming
more diversified, delving deeper into the issues of race and gender. "It
is no longer just about being 'LGBT,' per se."
Backpacks for all
Recreation and Leisure Studies Assistant Professor Nina Roberts is
quoted in a Sept. 2 San Francisco Chronicle article on increasing
use of public
lands among urban dwellers and ethnic minorities. "There's a myth
in the broader community that ethnic minorities don't like outdoor areas,
that they don't care about nature," Roberts said. "That's untrue." Roberts
said some of the biggest impediments are access to the gear and knowledge
needed for certain outdoor activities, and for newcomers, understanding
English-language signs and American rules about use of public lands.
For more media coverage of faculty, staff, students, alumni and programs,
see SF State in the News. |
