Recently by Brent Baughman

Since so many of us at Emerson are so enthusiastic about the place, precocious prospective students always ask what we don't like about Emerson. My advice to any incoming freshman also answers this question.

At any college, you will invariably find a "bubble" -- a little microsociety, with its own rules and lexicon and boundaries. I think one of the most important things for incoming students to remember is that the bubble -- be it...

Continue reading: Get Out!

Around this time of year, the end of the semester typically makes everyone a little hypertensive. It's that time when all your final projects and final exams and student events are at their busiest. Mostly it's only overwhelming if you haven't budgeted your time well throughout the semester -- if you've put off work or assigned reading -- and of course I know NOTHING about that sort of thing. Ahem.

What I'm doing now is enjoying the steady ...

Continue reading: What Am I Doing Now?

My freshman year I was placed in a learning community in Piano Row, one of the newer residence halls on campus. A learning community is sort of Emerson's version of themed living -- they're specific floors where students live who share not necessarily a common major, but a common area of interest. I lived on the 'Writer's Block,' an admittedly awful name, but truly a nice place to live. We held workshops on our floor a few times a week to critique ea...

Continue reading: Living in Boston - Piano Row

Remember that luggage is manufactured and packed in Russian Doll-like sets. A smaller suitcase in a larger one in a larger one in a larger one. When I was preparing to head to Boston, my Dad did NOT want to drive -- he can't stand long trips in a car -- so we arranged to fly. And we went and bought two of the BIGGEST suitcases we could find. We wondered why they were so expensive, since I had never really needed to buy luggage before. Then we took ...

Continue reading: When You Buy Luggage

My favoite place in Boston? There are so many choices. The Institute of Contemporary Art is a swanky new meseum right on the harbor. The architecture is a modern wonder, and the exhibitions never disappoint. The ICA's latest was Shepard Fairey, the arist who did that now-famous graphic of Barack Obama, simply captioned "Hope."

The Esplanade is a gorge...

Continue reading: Bookmark These Spots

I was admitted into the Writing, Literature, and Publishing program at Emerson. I felt very lucky to be here -- most schools don't offer a program specifically for writing, let alone the advantage of a city like Boston. If you're looking at schools as a writing student, you'll mostly find English programs that might offer a concentration in composition. But Emerson's program was all about the craft. I loved that.

Then midway through my sop...

Continue reading: New Tricks

That's the first thing I remember asking my tour guide during my first visit to Emerson. I'd already been accepted -- the visit was more to get a sense of where I'd be going. And for my Dad's peace of mind.

I did enough research to know what I could expect to get from Emerson. I'd also gone to an information session closer to home, in Pittsburgh, given by an admission counselor. So I thought I had a good sense of the school.

But ...

Continue reading: Visiting Emerson: "What's with all the cows?"

I'm writing this from my hometown in Western Pennsylvania, which has been sadly missed by the winter storm that dumped about 8 inches on Boston and other parts of the Northeast. I like the challenge of winter -- the uprooting of daily life that a snow storm can wreak -- but I've barely seen a flake all year. We may get a dusting for Christmas, at least.

I've very happy to be home, but there's always a struggle to the return, defined mostly ...

Continue reading: Now at Home

One of my favorite things to do in Boston this time of year is see the Boston Pops Holiday Concert. Last night two friends and I made our annual pilgrimage. It's one of the premier holiday concerts in the country -- and as far as I know the only one where Santa shows up cracking Sarah Palin jokes.

You see, every year Santa bops on stage midway through the concert and banters a bit with the maestro. "Boy, Santa, these sure are tough economic...

Continue reading: Dona Nobis Pacem, GOP!

When I came to Boston from Pennsylvania, one of the things I really looked forward to was winter. When people who don't live in New England think of winter here, they imagine snow starts on Labor Day and doesn't melt until March. And that we all own penguins.

In reality, Al Gore may be onto something. My freshman winter was lackadaisical at best. We had a big storm or two, but snow was mostly spotty and it warmed too often to stick around ...

Continue reading: Where's Winter?