Columnists
09/14/2026 · Bethesda
The Tiny Note That Keeps Your Brain From Chasing Every Rabbit
Focus is not about becoming a person who never gets distracted. It’s about giving distractions somewhere to go besides the front seat of your mind.
The Snowy Pause That Makes Frost’s Poem Last
Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is not really about getting lost in the woods. It’s about the tiny, stubborn pause we allow ourselves before duty comes knocking again.
09/14/2026
The Radical Skill of Paying Attention
Simone Weil believed attention was more than concentration, politeness, or productivity. She saw it as a moral act—and her advice for practicing it begins with getting something wrong.
09/14/2026
The Country’s Biggest Bill Comes Due
Washington keeps selling short-term fixes for long-term problems, and voters keep paying the invoice. Tariffs, housing costs, immigration fights, and artificial intelligence all point to the same question: who absorbs the damage when leaders chase applause?
09/14/2026
Stop Projecting Van Gogh on the Walls and Let Paint Be Weird Again
The immersive Van Gogh show has turned one of art’s most complicated painters into a giant screensaver with excellent marketing. It’s time to rescue him from the laser projector.
09/14/2026
Tuesday’s Cosmic Paperwork: Handle With Care
Late-spring skies bring bright ideas, short tempers, and one spectacular warning about saying “sure, I can do that” before checking your calendar. The planets are not against you; they simply enjoy watching you learn boundaries in real time.
09/14/2026