Michigan's meaningless teacher certification reform
Michigan's new alternative certification law - House Bill 5596 - is inadequate and does not represent serious reform.
Michigan Education Report and The Mackinac Center for Public Policy, forthcoming

Teacher certification tests don't tell us enough about quality
Teacher licensing tests create a significant cost for prospective teachers and for states without providing any meaningful return.
Michigan Education Report and The Mackinac Center for Public Policy, March 2, 2010

Back from Boston (short story)
It began, to pick an arbitrary beginning, with a key that would not turn in a lock.
Fogged Clarity, January 2010

Two Cents About COIN
Policymakers' belief in the power of COIN may encourage them to see military solutions where none exist.
Antiwar.com, Nov. 7, 2009

A Limited Ecumenism
Reconciliation with a significant twist.
Sightings, Nov. 5, 2009

Empathy Across Neighborhood Lines
The only way to break down barriers is through the continued exchange of people, conversations, and capital.
Chicago Weekly, October 28, 2009

Wide Awake Mind (interview with The University of Chicago Magazine)
Self-educators are curious about the world and willing to do something about their curiosity.
University of Chicago Magazine (online), August 19, 2009

The Case for Reading Good Books
No matter what your interest, becoming a serious and disciplined reader is the surest path to educational growth
Wide Awake Minds, July 22, 2009

Self-Education: A Manifesto
Self-educators embrace learning opportunities wherever they occur.
Wide Awake Minds and Parental Intelligence Newsletter, July 20, 2009

On Language Learning Textbooks
The student of languages is a student in the fullest sense of the word; his highest aspiration is to speak a language as well as a native speaker - any native speaker, regardless of age or station.
Wide Awake Minds, July 9, 2009

Resist the Urge to Confront Kim Jong-Il
It is time for direct talks aimed at a comprehensive peace.
Antiwar.com, July 1, 2009

How to Think About Politics
Politics touches everything and everything touches politics.
Fogged Clarity, July 2009

For Us, Mr. Daley, Driving to Work is a Necessity, Not a Vice
For many Chicagoans, driving to work - and finding affordable parking after work - is a necessity, not a luxury.
Crain's Chicago Business and ChicagoBusiness.com, June 15, 2009

The Day-Trader (short story)
His business, too, would recover from this setback. It must go on - there was meaning in it, it mattered.
Fogged Clarity, June 2009

Out of Range
The increasingly widespread practice of drone warfare raises serious ethical questions.
Antiwar.com, May 15, 2009

The Next Forgotten War
Political education must aim to combat apathy, prejudice, and our tendency to forget what is unpleasant.
Antiwar.com, April 20, 2009

Popular Coach, Athletic Director Fighting Illness (profile)
A Michigan coach's career is a testament to the power and importance of high school athletics.
Muskegon Chronicle and MLive.com, April 11, 2009

Missing the Train (short story)
In a hurry, always, I stuffed the last piece of the daily in the trash and ran to catch the next train, whenever it may come.
(Nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2009).
Fogged Clarity, February 2009

The Nuclear Peace and Its Consequences for China's Rise
M.A. Thesis, University of Chicago Committee on International Relations.
Faculty advisor: John J. Mearsheimer, Ph.D. Preceptor: Nuno Monteiro, Ph.D.
(Not online).
May 2008

Belief Isn't For the Unimaginative: Let Kids See The Golden Compass
Philadelphia Inquirer, December 10, 2007

Is The Da Vinci Code Dangerous?
Sojourners (online), May 19, 2006

Japanese Security Policy and the Future of the East Asian Peace
Presented at the Denison University Undergraduate East Asian Studies Conference.
(Not online).
February 18, 2006