• Thoughts

    We Can’t Let the Light Go Out

    “Men do not learn when they believe they already know.”     —Barbara Ward I added that quote to the signature line of my email long ago. I am still unsure about who Barbara Ward actually is or was: an author (probably), an…

  • Thoughts

    The Compartmentalization of Attention

    Thanks to the attention-span-killing Internet, it becomes harder to pay anything the attention it deserves. This works well for those who exploit it. What was earthshattering news last week can barely be recalled today. We more easily forget and, to…

  • Thoughts

    The Old and the Novel

    The notion of a path or journey to describes one’s life is a bit overused, so I’ve made a conscious effort to avoid such a metaphor. The problem is that I have yet to find one that works as well.…

  • Thoughts

    Gift Giving

    Recent days have been especially conversation heavy. After all, there is a lot going on in the world, and nothing is as it seems. I depend on others—in books, online—to help me see what is beneath the surface, and I…

  • Thoughts

    Cultivation

    On Wednesday, the kids and I started lessons for the year. Among other things, I asked that each read a poem and deal with art every day, and by dealing with art, I mean for them to draw something, watch…