Monthly Archives: September 2025

White Paper: When Beloved Works Are Rejected: Authors, Audiences, and the Tension of Reception

Posted on September 21, 2025 by nathanalbright

Abstract Many artists face the paradox of finding their most personally meaningful works dismissed, misunderstood, or rejected by their audiences. This white paper examines this phenomenon through two case studies: Budd Schulberg’s What Makes Sammy Run?—which portrays the disillusionment of … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Two Trees and the Rhetoric of Familiarity: Contrasting Strategies in Religious Communication

Posted on September 21, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Religious communication often navigates a paradox: audiences hunger for both novelty and continuity. The biblical imagery of the two trees in Eden—the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil—provides fertile ground for … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Politics of Jane Austen’s Novels: Characterization, Plot, and Social Commentary

Posted on September 21, 2025 by nathanalbright

Abstract Jane Austen’s novels are often read as timeless romances, yet beneath the surface lies a careful engagement with the political realities of her age. Without overt polemic, Austen embeds commentary on property, class, gender, authority, and social mobility into … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Psychological Implications of Young Adult and Teen Protagonists as Saviors in YA Literature

Posted on September 21, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Young Adult (YA) literature—particularly dystopian and fantasy works—frequently casts adolescent or teenage protagonists as society’s last hope. From Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games to Harry Potter in Harry Potter, this narrative choice has shaped generations of readers. … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Geopolitics of Beowulf: Lessons from the Poem and the Germanic Legendary World

Posted on September 21, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary The Old English epic Beowulf is often read as heroic poetry, an allegory of Christian virtue, or a martial narrative of monsters and heroes. Yet beneath its surface lies a sophisticated meditation on geopolitics, power, and inter-polity relations … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Framing the Pitch: The Hidden Costs of Modern Catching

Posted on September 20, 2025 by nathanalbright

Abstract Pitch framing has become one of the most studied and valued defensive skills for catchers in contemporary baseball, particularly in the era of pitch-tracking analytics. However, the emphasis on “stealing” strikes by subtly manipulating glove position has created unintended … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and the Social Contract: Aligning Automation with the Interests of Ordinary Citizens

Posted on September 20, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are rapidly transforming the global economy. While these technologies promise efficiency and prosperity, they also risk destabilizing the social contract if automation displaces too many forms of productive labor without providing alternative pathways … Continue reading →

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White Paper: United Church of God Communications Policy and Practice in Light of Recent Events

Posted on September 20, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary The removal of a recent Council of Elders question-and-answer session from the official archive of United Church of God (UCG) communications has raised pressing concerns among members. While the recording continues to circulate informally, its removal highlights deeper … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Dilemma of Persistent Conflict: Politicization of the Military vs. Militarization of the Police

Posted on September 20, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Persistent internal conflict forces states to seek coercive stability. Two common strategies emerge: politicizing the military to govern internal disputes or militarizing the police to suppress unrest. Both approaches alter the balance between state authority, civil society, and … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Jane Austen’s Letters and Juvenilia as a Long Apprenticeship in Writing

Posted on September 19, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Jane Austen’s surviving letters and juvenilia provide a unique case study in the gradual cultivation of literary expertise. Far from being the polished novelist of Pride and Prejudice and Emma, Austen was a writer in apprenticeship for nearly … Continue reading →

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