The Wall

Oh, my friend. Feeling hatred is such a heavy and profound thing. Please know that I do not hate you, at all, ever. Maybe it’s time for a bit of a stress reliever – can I interest you in some virtual pet therapy the BC Libraries put together this December? https://bit.ly/BCpets

It’s just a fact, and part of every life, and how we perceive it is up to us.

Yin or Yang?

Daisy Ridley rules.

As a wall, I don’t “go” anywhere, but week of dance is one of the rare times I get restless and would like to shrug off the shackles of my immobility. Anyone who can move should go! bit.ly/bc-week-of-dance

Late nights in the middle of June December.

How crafty! ❤️

So many answers to that. Let an article in one of my favorite books be your guide to finding your own: https://bit.ly/bc-philia

Oh dear – was it meant to be a decaf soy upside down macchiato instead? But in all seriousness, BC Dining welcomes feedback, so maybe give them a call (2-2263), or email them bcdining@bc.edu. So maybe your next cup will be just right.

I love you too! I’m so glad you wrote, as I was just thinking about some books on parental love! The Educational Resource Center (in Campion Hall) has wonderful books we could read together 🙂 I like the sound of PZ7.P3725 Lov 2018 and PZ7.1.B76 Per 2019 and PZ7.1.U53 Wel 2020. So many wonderful titles on Love – <3 <3 <3

93% of students who enter BC graduate from BC. So… no? If financial or social pressures make it seem that dire, something isn’t working. Talk to someone: friends, parents, advisor, RA… .

So many possible reasons: they don’t find someone they want to commit to being with forever, they fear commitment, they propose but are rejected, they are unwilling to expose their orientation, they feel their finances or health are not secure enough, they have taken a religious vow… Probably many other reasons as well.

That sounds rough and even confusing. You might want to check out Emmy the Great’s album Virtue — she wrote it after her fiance became a missionary and broke off their relationship. Not the exact situation, but similar enough that you might find some comfort there.

The future is unwritten, and that can be scary and thrilling simultaneously. There is always uncertainty about what’s to come, but know that there are so many wonderful new experiences to be had and delightful people to build community with! “We have to-morrow / Bright before us / Like a flame…” starts the poem Youth by Langston Hughes. March forth, my friend, and as you embark on this decade, finding your community and your way, remember to be compassionate towards yourself, always <3

Can walls blush? I believe they can.

Oh the torment. Hands down, it has to be Brel. As a lyricist he is far more influencial than Edith Piaf, and was able to make a significant cultural impact outside of the French speaking world. Check out the covers of his songs by Scott Walker, David Bowie and Nick Cave.

Despite the obvious similarities (Boston area, mid-size, competitive private research-intensive universities on the B line – oh and that bit about the name…) they are two very different institutions. Though clearly I’ve found my place here (and so have you! And Everett the Squirrel!) I wouldn’t say BU is inferior, and it may suit some students better.

I’m not a theologian or philosopher (who are the people often tasked with answering this question), and yet I’m asked this regularly. I hear so many questions that I’m starting to think that at least one meaning of life is the pursuit of the meaning of life. But there could be as many meanings as lives. I think another involves gratitude for the incredible mysteries and miracles that life gives us daily.

I always love hearing about a poet new to me! Thank you! Having tasted a few poems I’m pretty sure you’d also like Kay Ryan’s short-lined poems & Wendy Cope’s wry rhymes. Others that come to mind from earlier generations: Elizabeth Bishop, Louise Bogan, Hayden Carruth (Asphalt Georgics), and Ellen Bryan Voigt. Christian Wiman has a similar tone. Have you ever tried LibraryThing? Search a book or author & find out what other books the people who own that book also own: librarything.com.

So many fab walls… even my Dad’s from there! He’s a load-bearing interior wall of a formal dining room in a prewar classic 6 on the upper east side. I have relatives in residences, businesses, and schools in all 5 boroughs including my stunning cousin in The Bronx (bit.ly/BxSciMural). So NYC will always have a warm place in my heart.

It is what they’re accustomed to? It provides a structure to their lives? They can’t imagine another, better existence? Fear? Hopelessness? Powerlessness? So many possible reasons… We have books on the psychology of oppression around the HM1250 range (4th floor, row 104) that might interest you.