Though her reputation preceded her, I had never read a book by Ursula K. Leguin before this one. I’ve always been a fan of the old-guard of science fiction and fantasy writers, of whom she is a much revered member, so when I spotted this book for a bargain and the synopsis seemed thoughtful and […]
The shared wisdom used to be that if you didn’t have something nice to say, you didn’t say it. I believe that rule has now been rescinded by the United Nations. At least I assume it has, because what I see most often is the opposite. People who have nice things to say usually keep […]
As human beings, we remember a surprising amount about the lives we have lived. As human beings we also have an astonishing ability to forget. We forget all manner of facts and events, happy ones, painful ones, and many which never make enough of an impression to stick. And then there are things we forget […]
As human beings we assume many things, but there are a few basic assumptions we make about that collective everyone, which are always contradictory. These assumptions have to do with what we have to offer to the world, and what we accept from the world in return. 1. I am different from everyone We like […]
Saying no nicely is a skill that serves you well in all things great and small. This weekend, we were sitting in our living rooom in the middle of the day, and there was an unexpected ring at the door. I opened it to see who it was. A smiling man with a coupon book […]
Indians are festival gluttons. That’s not to imply that we all eat too much during festivals (only most of us do, not ALL of us), but rather that we have more commonly celebrated festivals than you can shake a large decorated Christmas tree at. Speaking of Christmas, the Indian equivalent in the realm of noise, […]
Conformity vs individuality is a matter very close to the discussion about the originality of creative ideas, which I have gotten into before and I am sure I will again. The question of individuality was brought up again recently when I received a comment on my article about creativity and religious thought from Curtis who […]