Kevin Taveras's Publications

• Stephen King, Kevin Taveras March, 2011 by Kevin Taveras Stephen King’s name conjures images of horror. The best-selling and critically acclaimed author of numerous novels and short stories, Stephen King’s fans know him for Carrie, The Shining, It, and the multi-novel series, The Dark Tower. Filmmakers have successfully created movies from his works. Throughout his career, Stephen King has received many literary awards, including The Locus Award and The Bram Stoker Award. The National Book Foundation awarded him the Medal for Distinguished Contributions to American Letters. Stephen King was born the second son of Nellie and Don King. After his father abandoned his mother when Stephen was a very young child, she returned with the children to her hometown in Maine and cared for her aging parents until they died. She received board and some financial assistance from the family in return. After her parents’ deaths, she worked in a local care facility for developmentally disabled adults. Stephen King earned a degree in English from The University of Maine in preparation to teach high school classes in the subject. King married and found employment as a teacher, all the while producing short stories and working on a novel. With the publication of Carrie in 1973, his earnings as an author enabled him to quit work as a teacher and write exclusively. Stephen King considers himself a natural storyteller: “I was made to write stories and I love to write stories.” He ascribes his ability to write well to daily practice and a disciplined approach to honing his craft. Citing many authors as deeply influential, Stephen King especially notes Bram Stoker, Richard Matheson, and H.P. Lovecraft.

• Dr. Seuss and World War II, Kevin Taveras April, 2011 An avid reader, Kevin Taveras counts Theodore Seuss Geisel, better known by his penname Dr. Seuss, among his favorite authors. Widely recognized as one of the most influential children’s authors of all time, Geisel published 44 books throughout his career, selling millions of copies in countries around the world. Titles such as The Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas have become household names in the United States and abroad. In addition to his work as an author and illustrator of children’s books, Geisel composed a large quantity of political cartoons during the years surrounding World War II. In the days leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Geisel served as an outspoken proponent of American involvement in Europe. In addition to publishing cartoons that denounced the fascist reigns of Hitler and Mussolini, Geisel remained highly critical of American isolationists such as Charles Lindbergh, who would have seen Hitler appeased and America kept out of the war. Geisel also served as a staunch opponent of the Lend-Lease Act, arguing that merely supplying weapons to our allies in Europe was only delaying the inevitability of war. A firm supporter of President Roosevelt’s handling of the world-changing conflict, Geisel condemned the growing prejudice against Jewish and African-American people as harmful to the wartime effort. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Geisel began producing posters for the War Production Board and Treasury Department. These drawings expressed support for wartime industries and urged Americans to buy war bonds. In 1943, Geisel joined the Army as the commander of the Animation Department of the First Motion Picture Unit of the United States Army Air Force. In this role, Geisel wrote a number of screenplays about peace in Europe after the end of the war and several adult training films for Army personnel. In recognition of his work on the documentary film Design for Death, which presented an in-depth look at Japanese culture, Geisel garnered the Academy Award for Documentary Feature. Thanks to the efforts of the Mandeville Special Collections Library at the University of California, San Diego, Internet users can access all of Geisel’s original drawings online at http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/Frame.htm. whathe.jpg whathte2.jpg

• Cablevision Apps By Kevin Taveras, Kevin Taveras April, 2011 by Kevin Taveras For those who simply refuse to be without their favorite television shows, the newest iPad video apps offered by Apple allows them to use their iPads to remain connected to their programs like never before. Proving especially popular among technologically inexperienced persons and TV fans alike, Cablevision’s Optimum for iPad application allows subscribers to watch any television channel via the iPad, as well as on their televisions. Although the Optimum app may only be used from a subscriber’s home, the Cablevision app exceeds similar offerings by other cable companies, because it provides all of the subscriber’s channels rather than just a smattering of programming. The Optimum option by Cablevision also replaces appliances that provide Internet-to-TV capabilities, such as those that connect appliances to televisions via Wi-Fi. The popularity of the current Optimum app indicates that new, improved apps will likely follow; Cablevision announced the week after the launch of the app that 50,000 people had downloaded it in the first 5 days. When Cablevision unveils its next version of the app, expect to see what the company calls a “TV Everywhere” experience. Unlike the current app, subscribers to TV Everywhere will have access to all of their content anywhere in the country with a subscription to Cablevision. This move puts Cablevision on the same footing as such companies as Netflix and Hulu while, at the same time, cementing their loyalty to Cablevision and its stellar lineup of channels.

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