For many of us, religious liturgy provides the words we need for life’s major milestones. But what if you don’t ascribe to any particular religion? In her uplifting new book, The Wonder Paradox: Embracing the Weirdness of Existence and the Poetry of Our Lives (Bookshop|Amazon), historian and poet Jennifer Michael Hecht suggests turning to poetry. The book features many poems and poetic styles, such as Chinese classical poetry and the Arabic ghazal, and a short poem by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe that will take your breath away. This is part of a complete episode.
What makes a great first line of a book? How do the best authors put together an initial sentence that draws you in and makes you want to read more? We’re talking about the openings of such novels as George Orwell’s 1984...
To slip someone a mickey means to doctor a drink and give it to an unwitting recipient. The phrase goes back to Mickey Finn of the Lone Star Saloon in Chicago, who in the late 19th century was notorious for drugging certain customers and relieving...
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