The opening scene in Fiddler on the Roof features an animated argument among the people of Anatevka over whether a purchased animal is a horse or a mule. “Horse!” shouts one group. “Mule!” shouts another. And that is the extent of their conversation. They just keep shouting. Joseph Stein wrote that musical in 1964, but [...]
For a nation so rich in natural resources, we are sorely lacking in others. We need more mental health professionals, for instance, and we need them yesterday. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and it’s a fine thing to take stock of your mental health. But where do you go when your assessment tells you [...]
The only thing more relentless than our human mortality is the beauty of the earth we all eventually leave behind. Sometimes, the way the sun lights an oak tree, or a red maple leaf slowly dances to the ground, or an autumn reflection grows vibrantly across a smooth lake can seem like an affront to [...]
Editor's note: This post is a little sadder than I usually write, so if you don't want to read it today I'll understand. If you do read it, though, I'd love to hear your thoughts.... I spent last weekend at the University of Wisconsin surrounded by thousands of examples of human brains at their finest [...]
Two hours after an intense brain surgery during which doctors drilled holes in a ventricle, my sister sat in a chair and focused on the important annual task of choosing basketball teams for her March Madness bracket. Such is the remarkable resilience of the human brain. Except, sometimes it isn't. A slight alteration of brain [...]