When cornered, we’ll admit to preferring poetry with rhythm—musicality in the ear surely deepens a poem’s effect. Yes, Jennifer Givhan, we’re awed by your use of pause and pacing, as you lead us to better understanding a... Read More

Poets and words, a relationship built on endless frustration and betrayal. That’s not what I intended to say. Sorry, bard, that’s what you get with me. Certain poets embrace the ambiguity, as if potential misunderstandings raise a... Read More

Certain few unfortunate souls—you know who you are—aren’t comforted at all to hear that commercial aviation is far and away the safest form of transportation. If it’s so safe, they ask, why am I so terrified to step on a plane?... Read More

Tuscany and Provence—does anywhere else on earth deserve equal standing alongside those two glorious places? Beautiful, of course, but also fertile, temperate, and richly cultured with longstanding traditions in agriculture, cuisine,... Read More

Just where and how life began on earth is uncertain—deep sea vents, tide pools, and hot springs all provide rational explanations—but water was certainly involved, and as single-cell organisms gave way to more complex forms of life,... Read More

The city that never sleeps, New York made good use of those extra waking hours to create an incomparable nightlife scene—theaters, restaurants, nightclubs—as well as nurture a citizenship that occasionally goes off the... Read More

Zen loves a good story, especially one without a beginning or an end. Zen also likes stories that end before they begin. Zen likes commitment, wants you to work very diligently, with absolute focus, but not to try too hard. Zen wants you... Read More

Everywhere we turn, we are called to action. Keep turning, keep acting. In this case, get your hands dirty. Plant something honeybee friendly to help these buzzing benefactors continue to pollinate 30 percent of the food we eat. The bees... Read More