I’m at Barnes & Noble with my lovelily pregnant wife, enjoying a cool java on a scorching day. Did you know that you cannot use a Starbux gift card at the Starbuxes (Starbuces?) within B&N? There’s something paradoxical about that–is it really a Starbux if you can only use B&N gift cards?

Ψυχη is Greek for 'soul'--and for 'butterfly'
On our way here, I was stopped at a light and saw a beautiful monarch butterfly on the pavement in front of me. I don’t know what was wrong with it–perhaps it was the heat, or it had been hit by a car, or it had just emerged from its chrysalis–but it could not quite get off the ground no matter how hard it fluttered. Up and down, a few inches high, a few inches forward–I only saw its orange and black wings for ten seconds, but it was quite compelling for some reason. I swerved slightly to avoid it, but I can’t imagine it survived much longer under the onslaught of vehicles that followed.
Such an inspiring and saddening considered making a foray into poetry or songwriting. Then I remembered how fruitful my last few attempts at poetry have been, and decided against it. So, for all you singer-songwriters out there, here’s a metaphor for…something.
On Fred’s recommendation I purchased and began reading Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day. This book has been an incredible comfort to me; Joan Bolker knows and understands the highs, lows, emotions, distractions and fears of the doctoral student. As a professional writing consultant, she advises doctoral students at Harvard, Brandeis and several other schools in the Boston area. This very practical book is a wonderful companion that will always been within easy reach of my desk for those debilitating cases of writer’s block.
On that note, it’s back to the dissertation…
What graduate school are you going to for your dissertation?
Benj, I need this book.