Originality & Creativity

The poet talks about the unique challenges of being a Jewish poet.

How can we encourage kids to think, explore and experiment?

I understand why she has shown little interest in learning my name, or even looking me in the eye. When you're ninety-five, "honey" will do for just about anyone. She calls the teacher "honey" too. Nothing personal.

Every life has one: the power-that-be who guards the mandate of the publication, decides which articles will see the light of day, and suggests/insists on the changes to be made in the content and wording

"I'm going to tell him everything," insisted the first father. "I want a son," objected father #2, "not a puppet." "I'll tell him everything," said the third father. "But I won't tell him what it means"

At a nearby table sat a man who would come every evening for an hour of study. Although his business consumed the bulk of his day, and his study skills were limited, he diligently pursued his nightly page of Talmud.

Is it what we do, or why we do it? Do we enter life to play a part in a pre-established cosmic plan, or do we also have a role in defining the significance of our actions?

Sometimes it can be frustrating being a Jew. No matter what you do, one of your grandfathers or grandmothers has already done it. How can one ever do anything original with such ancestors?