Words Archives

Volta: Canceling a Gym Membership and the Art of Walking Away

Key Takeaways/Summary This essay begins with a universally frustrating experience and slowly peels back the layers of our modern economy. It examines how corporate design deliberately traps consumers in endless subscription loops. Ultimately, it reveals how the simple act of…

Diptych: How Lord Byron’s Apocalyptic Poem Built the Boeing 747

Summary I explore the hidden connections between a 19th-century climate disaster and modern aviation. We trace how the Mount Tambora eruption caused global cooling. This catastrophic event killed off horses and sparked the invention of the bicycle. I reveal how…

The Illusion of the Present: Curating the Artifacts of a Dead Relationship

Key Takeaways This article examines the psychological toll of emotional taxidermy following a sudden divorce. I explore how curated domestic spaces trap us in a static identity. The Illusion of the Present: Curating the Artifacts of a Dead Relationship I…

Growing Up in the Wings: Lessons from the NYCB Nutcracker Child Performer

Key Takeaways Performing in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at the New York City Ballet serves as a vital training ground. This experience instills deep discipline and resilience in children from a very young age. Young performers learn to navigate a…

The Urban Labyrinth: Franz Kafka and the Modern New York Experience

Key Takeaways The modern New York experience mirrors the surreal and bureaucratic landscapes found in the works of Franz Kafka. Many residents and visitors would even describe it as a truly Kafkaesque New York Experience. This article explores the intersection…

Learning from Theater: to Develop Life Skills and Understand Relationships

Introduction: The Power of Theater in Understanding Ourselves Theater is a powerful tool for learning about personal relationships. A playwright skillfully uses dialogue, character development, and action to reflect our own life experiences. As a result, these elements allow us…

The Ghost Roads of the Heart: Can We Ever Truly Change Our Path?

Life isn’t a Straight Line Life isn’t a straight road, and I’m starting to believe it’s not even a series of roads. It feels more like a vast, unmarked field we wander through in the fog. We tell ourselves we’re…

Objects and Nostalgia: Do Our Possessions Keep Our Memories?

We imbue objects with deep meaning through nostalgia and love, but does that power survive us? This article explores the philosophical and psychological question of whether the meaning in our cherished possessions dissipates when we die or if it leaves a lasting echo for others to find. Featuring insights from philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual thinkers, we examine how the stories of our lives are tied to the things we leave behind.

Anniversary Reflections: Poetry Amidst Divorce

Today marks my wedding anniversary with David Gleason, though we are currently in the midst of a divorce. I find myself missing him deeply. He is my everything. I’ve penned a poem today, inspired by our past. For context, Nancy…

Regional American Theater Companies Worth Traveling For

The stage, a microcosm of life itself, forms a bridge where imagination meets reality. Beneath glowing stagelights, stories unfold—tender, relentless, transcendent. Despite Broadway’s limelight, it’s in regional theater where American cultural roots find fertile soil. Here, playwrights experiment with untamed…

Category: Words