Tag Archives: narrative immersion

All the “porns”

The last time I was in our neighborhood supermarket, I narrowly avoided buying the latest special issue of Good Housekeeping, full of recipes for the Mediterranean diet. Although I was tempted, $13.99 was non-trivial, and I reminded myself that if … Continue reading

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The remarkable story of Little and Little (2021)

This morning I read a delightful academic paper, with an even more delightful backstory. The lead author, Sabine Little, is a professor at the University of Sheffield, specializing in “Languages Education,” especially multilingualism. Her native language is German. So when … Continue reading

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Hacking your mood with a Strawberry Letter

A couple of weeks ago, I popped into the First National Taphouse to pick up the dinner we’d ordered, and on their sound system was a song I hadn’t heard, or thought about, in years. It was the Brothers Johnson, … Continue reading

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Postcards from my Istrian “stay-cation”

If I were to step outside here in Eugene, in the final days of 2020, I’d find rainy, windy, winter. Thankfully, I’ve had an alternative – I’ve spent much of the past week or two in sunny, cheery, Trieste and … Continue reading

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In a League of her own

A few weeks ago, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced a “small quarantine accomplishment”: She’s made it to rank Silver III in League of Legends. Predictably, the lively congresswoman’s tweet met with a scornful backlash – she should give back her salary or … Continue reading

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Mindfulness III: When Mindfulness Sets Us Adrift

One benefit often mentioned for mindfulness is the value of shaking up one’s complacent perspective on life. Jon Kabat-Zinn explained that “we lock ourselves into a personal fiction that we already know who we are, that we already know where … Continue reading

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Mindfulness Caveats II: “Always Be Mindful” – Good Idea?

“Chopping wood is meditation. Carrying water is meditation. Be mindful 24 hours a day, not just during the one hour you may allot for formal meditation… Each act must be carried out in mindfulness.” – Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle … Continue reading

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Doing uncomfortable things: Two approaches

Back when I was about to have my first baby, the hospital educator taught us about two philosophies of natural childbirth.  In the Lamaze method, the mother-to-be focuses her attention on specific breathing patterns, along with pleasant memories or her … Continue reading

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