OFFICIAL SITE OF AUTHOR MICHAEL RICKARD

He’s the scion of an honorable and revered family. A dedicated soldier and distinguished legislator. Loyal proponent of the Republic and trusted ally of the Jedi Order. Groomed by the ruthless politician and Sith Lord who would be Emperor, Governor Wilhuff Tarkin rises through the Imperial ranks, enforcing his authority ever more mercilessly . . . and zealously pursuing his destiny as the architect of absolute dominion. Rule through the fear of force rather than force itself,

Copyright (c) 2018 by Michael Rickard II Editor's Note: Here's an essay I wrote on Women Hollering Creek and Other Stories for a class I took on borderland literature. Spoilers abound: In Sandra Cisneros’ Women Hollering Creek and Other Stories, space is used to explore societal confines and personal confines as experienced by the characters in the book’s short stories. Whether it is Cleófilas enduring domestic violence in the title story, or Inés, a magic-wielding woman who

Last time around, we looked at one of Superman’s most challenging and somewhat controversial Golden Age opponents, the Ultra-Humanite. As discussed in our previous segment, people seem to have mixed feelings about Superman’s Golden Age era rogue’s gallery, with the thought being that a good number of characters either bordered on comedy or borderline ineptitude. Whether it’s villains like The Toyman, The Prankster, The Puzzler, J. Wilbur Wolfingham, or Mr. Mxyzptlk, many of t

Copyright 2018 by Michael W. Rickard II One minute I’m reading about an academic conference in England concerning Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the next I’m on a flight to London for the time of my life; a trip that would include some wonderful discoveries, arduous journeys, record-breaking weather, and harrowing escapes. Join me now as I look at my 13-day trip to the United Kingdom. There’s a misperception that working on your academic degree means spending most of your ti

Copyright (c) 2018 by Michael Rickard II Here's an essay I wrote on Bless Me, Ultima. Spoilers abound: Rudolfo Anaya employs magical realism in Bless Me, Ultima to advance his coming of age story while exploring the concept of subalterned cultures. Anaya’s protagonist Antonio discovers the world around him is not what he has been taught, and he finds himself questioning everything he believes in ranging from his personal identity to his spiritual principles and beliefs. This

For those wondering why there hasn't been any new content, I just returned from the U.K. and had ankle surgery the following week. While you'd think I'd have lots of time to write, it hasn't worked out that way. However, there will be new content soon. Thanks for your patience. I hope you are having a wonderful summer (or winter depending on your side of the equator).

Three years ago I wrote about the N.W.A. biopic, Straight Outta Compton and comments surrounding it. I was intrigued not so much by the biopic, but a statement made by Jerry Heller, N.W.A.'s controversial manager. While I haven't seen the new N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, I have read several articles about the people who were present during the legendary rap group's heyday. A couple articles have featured comments from N.W.A.'s manager Jerry Heller. In a recent interv

Copyright 2018 by Michael W. RIckard II Here's another commentary I wrote for a class I took this year, "Introduction to Lexicography." The saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is proven wrong as shown by the articles “The Handling of Down Syndrome and Related Terms in Modern Dictionaries” and “Defining Racial Labels: Problems and Promise in American Dictionaries.” As the two articles argue, words can hurt, even when they are used out o

Copyright (c) 2018 by Michael Rickard II Note: Nothing in this blog should be interpreted as legal advice. I am only sharing my experiences in jail and prison (aka Con College). If you've read my book Laughing All the Way to the Bank Robbery: How an Attorney Survived Prison, you know that I had some interesting experiences in a number of jails (For those of you out of the loop, there's a big difference between jail and prison, something I'll explain in a future blog). So what