Sunday night we had a dinner party. Let’s say that again: Sunday night we had a dinner party! It wasn’t the very first time we’ve had people over since Covid has quieted—but it was the most pre-covid normal. This time we weren’t wary and self-conscious—we were celebratory. I did forget how exhausting it can be […]
Apologies for dereliction of blog duties the past few weeks. To be honest, I’ve just felt a little empty, with nothing to say. Don’t worry, not that empty. I’m not despondent and no more or less anxious about the state of things than usual. In most ways, my life is as good as it’s ever […]
It was a Friday night in the fall of 1977. I was a junior in the journalism program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Earlier, I’d gotten an essay exam back during one of my hardest—and favorite classes. I aced it. So, that afternoon, off I went to happy hour at a campustown joint […]
A week ago today we learned that a very, very dear friend passed away. Janet Smith, who was also a neighbor, had staved off ovarian cancer for nearly two years. Janet was a tenured professor in the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs at University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). But that’s just a title. She […]
A few years back I posted about how we often anoint wunderkinds as “creators” of a new technology. The point was that scientific and technological advance reflects collaboration, not wunderkinds. That every advancement is sort of a collective milestone in the eternal scientific drive to learn more and do things better. Right now the commercials […]