Critical Mass

Not to get too meta on you (but I think meta is very over, and I find it soothing to remain passe), I wrote a bit of criticism recently, and I’m going to criticize the whole notion of criticism. First: I don’t know that I believe in criticism. I don’t know if I believe in […]

Avoidance

Some of the most painful things that ever happened to me happened in childhood. One day after school, I sat in the car with my mom, facing the tree in our side yard, and crying and crying and telling her I was never going back to school. I had no friends. My only friend, in […]

Patience

One reason it’s good to have less money is that it forces you to be more patient. A couple of weeks ago, my laptop took a turn for the worse. Since I tripped over the cord, getting a good connection between the outlet and the computer is a tricky business. Sometimes it requires repeated twisting […]

Alarms

This year, at the senior banquet, I got the first shout-out. I don’t like being the center of attention, so I was both pleased and embarrassed. What does the graduating senior say of me, after two years in my class? “I remember Ms Schurman always used to say, ‘Wake up!” The purpose of education is, […]