Columnists

10/10/2026 · Ironwood

The Most Useful Boundary Takes Seven Words

You don’t have to decide on the spot just because someone asked. Try this small pause today and notice how much clearer your answer becomes.

10/09/2026

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Column

The Tiny Line Break That Makes a Wheelbarrow Matter

William Carlos Williams’s eight-line poem looks almost too small to notice. Then its line breaks quietly rearrange your attention—and show you how to make an ordinary thing feel essential.

10/09/2026

Column

The First Honest Step Is Naming the Thing

James Baldwin’s most useful sentence is not a pep talk. It is a warning against confusing optimism with reality—and a small instruction for what to do next.

10/09/2026

Column

The National Ear: Tariffs, Shutdown Theater, and the Price of Political Noise

Washington keeps selling confrontation as action while households absorb the bill. Today’s most important stories point to one conclusion: Congress needs to govern before another deadline forces it to pretend.

10/09/2026

Column

The Immersive Van Gogh Industrial Complex Needs to Go Outside

Projecting “Starry Night” onto a warehouse wall is not the same as looking at “Starry Night.” It is, however, an excellent way to make a painting feel like a screensaver with a parking fee.

10/09/2026