I tend to obsess on the need for ordinary people to step up and do something good for other people, outside the daily routine. I’m often surprised and gratified to discover how many folks are already doing good things above and beyond their work and family lives. I stumbled onto a perfect example of this…Read More
Commencement addresses have a way of becoming classic formulations of what matters most in life. It has something to do with the Polonius/Laertes nature of the occasion: final words of wisdom from someone older to a young person before setting off into a harsh, tricky world. Recently, Kaveh Alizadeh spoke to the graduating class as…Read More
Here are my remarks from the ceremony this evening at St. John’s where I was given the Spirit of the City award: It’s a great honor to be able to speak tonight at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine’s wonderful fund-raising ceremony to honor Xu Bing, the Chinese artist whose creations have been installed inside…Read More
I cleaned this up a trifle, but this is fairly close to what Louis C.K. said in the latest episode of Louie. It was part of the stand-up segment at the club, in the middle of the episode, where he always reaches back and touches the brick wall behind him as he talks, as if he’s trying…Read More
As I was writing The Constant Choice, I began to wonder if my tolerant, ecumenical views on religion would disqualify me as a Christian — at least in the eyes of many readers. In my appreciation for what all the great religions have in common — God, obviously, but also the Golden Rule — I wondered…Read More
