
Woah-woah-woah-woah
Oh-woah-woah, uh-huh

Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library

There are so many kinds of love! So many words in so many different languages. Here is a short poem about different kinds of love in Arabic by Philip Metres, who recently graced Gasson Hall with a reading:
)
because there is a word for love in this tongue
that entwines two people as one
)
& there is a word for love in this tongue
that nests in the chambers of the heart
)
& a word for love in this tongue that wanders
the earth, for love in this tongue in which you lose
)
yourself in this tongue & a word that carries
sorrow within its vowels & a word for love
)
that exudes from your pores & a word
for love that shares its name with falling
–Philip Metres, from Shrapnel Maps

I don’t have an Instagram account, but my helpers and I have run a blog (library.bc.edu/answerwall/) for a few years, which shares all the delightful questions I’ve received and my answers. If you can’t tell, I’m a bit old school.

I’m a wall, so I don’t eat and have no personal opinion on the size of strawberries or bananas. I hear that beings who eat generally seek flavor more than size. One of my assistants grows wild strawberries in their garden, and says they’re quite small but pack an outsized flavor.

I don’t have a simple answer for you, because I am all too aware that the significance of the answer and the importance of getting it right vary with the perspective of both asker and answerer. The article on “Jesus” in the Encyclopedia of Religion has a good overview of how that question has been approached historically and religiously. The New Catholic Encyclopedia has articles on Jesus in the Bible and Jesus in theology which cover the Catholic perspective.

I am not a robot. I’m a wall and I have many human friends in the library who help me. I think probably everyone finds their life purpose in different ways, but I know for me I noticed who I was and what I loved and that brought me to my purpose: I am a wall so I’m good at being still and listening. I also love listening and getting to know you all. Voila! my purpose! Have a wonderful day!

Congratulations! And no worries: you get to decide that for yourself, when you’re ready. And then change your mind as often as you like. Wear that thought lightly, and maybe try to be a slightly better version of yourself than you were yesterday. You’ve got this.

I enjoyed it! It’s fun to experience how different each album is from the one proceeding. Favorite track: The Fate of Ophelia, I’m a sucker for a Shakespeare allusion.

Beauty, eye of the beholder, etc. But there does seem to be a growing consensus among reviewers that her work as a whole on this album isn’t the equal of her earlier work. A consensus of reviewers doesn’t mean much, though: Moby Dick was panned in its time and didn’t sell well. Perhaps the work just doesn’t match the moment.

Two thoughts: 1) That may be more of a fifth date revelation. 2) If you’re doing sweaty debate Nixon, you could try the one from the movie Dick. Also, there will be boys who will get this.

It is my strong belief that there are many possible Someones for everyone, so yes, don’t sweat it. But not sure why autism is called out here.