Francine Prose on Reading Like a Writer

. I started my very first WordPress blog because I wanted to share what I knew with others. It was an attempt at carving up my own corner of the Internet, where I could meet like-minded people. It wasn’t an attempt at becoming a better writer. Yet a decade and several selves later, that’s exactly … Read more

Freelove: Depeche Mode

. I start every morning with lovingkindness meditation, a Buddhist practice aimed at countering negative thoughts about yourself and others. The first step is to concentrate on your own happiness: “May I be well, may I be happy.” Next, you do the same for a good friend, a neutral person, a difficult person, and, finally, … Read more

Each of These 4 Famous Philosophers Can Be Summarized in One Sentence (and Sentence #5 Will Surprise You)

I often describe myself as a reader and a writer. But there is one self-label that doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves — lifelong learner. That part of myself is on the never-ending path of self-improvement, an endeavor that is nourished, among other things, by Coursera. Case in point: “The Modern and the … Read more