Monthly Archives: April 2014

“Some part of art is the art of waiting”

The poet Ted Kooser — who won the Pulitzer Prize after he retired — knows something about art and waiting. However, that doesn’t mean he’s a calm poet. His poem “Memory” starts like this: “Spinning up dust and cornhusks as it crossed the … Continue reading

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“It was the kind of question that starts a landslide in the mind.”

What was the question?  Was it profound?  Shocking?  Revealing? Turns out, it’s all of these, and it’s laced with British humor.  The question was, “Do we need a cup of tea?” This comes next: “She sounded puzzled and distressed and I began to realize … Continue reading

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“For the most part, we are going about learning in the wrong ways.”

The authors tell us that going over and over something is “a time-consuming study strategy that yields neglibile benefits at the expense of much more effective strategies that take less time.” (15) What works better? Quizzing yourself, or writing a … Continue reading

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“The name of the author is the first to go, followed obediently by the title, the plot…”

The poem “Forgetfulness” by Billy Collins continues: “the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel which suddenly becomes one you have never read, never even heard of, as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor decided to retire to … Continue reading

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