Professor Carol
Memories of graduate school flood my mind these days. Those four years of coursework at the University of North Carolina marked the beginning of my life as a scholar. I had figured out painfully in college how to study. But the fervid quest to learn, … Read more
The neighborhood where I grew up in Roanoke Virginia never was trendy. But today it’s best described using one of my mother’s favorite phrases: it has kind of “gone to pot”—a reference to the process of sending defective industrial parts back to a giant pot … Read more
This week we’re announcing a new course as part of our Circle of Scholars. It’s very much your course, because the idea for it came from you—the people I meet when traveling and speaking. Here’s the situation so many of you have described. A body … Read more
If that don’t beat all! We used to say that a lot. But these days, with so many extreme things surrounding us, I’m not sure how useful the phrase still is. Except . . . for last Friday. I went to a dentist in Weimar, … Read more
Lately I’ve had some lovely opportunities to sit by history. At least that’s what I like to call it. While nothing tops walking into famous sites, there’s something magical about sitting next to them, particularly if circumstances allow one’s imagination to travel back in time. … Read more
Perhaps you know the joy of running unexpectedly into a friend while in a far-away place. I’ll never forget the gasps of surprise from such an encounter in a little café in Prague. Two of my Smithsonian guests looked up from their coffee to see … Read more
Our ship’s in a lock. I’m watching from my cabin window as we rise slowly from a scary concrete vault into a bright horizon and then sail gently forward into the leafy verdure of the Germany countryside. Thoughts swirl in my mind—particularly one. Actually this … Read more
I am not contemplative by nature. Those who know me realize how true that statement is. Yet, at this past weekend’s conference in Louisville, Kentucky entitled The Fruitful Garden, an inspiring group of Classical educators caused me mightily to wish that I could be more contemplative … Read more
This weekend brings a much-anticipated event: our second gathering of educators at a conference entitled The Fruitful Garden. Sponsored by the Classical Consortium (CiRCE, Classical Academic Press, Memoria Press, IEW, Center for Lit, and Professor Carol), our focus will be the Seven Liberal Arts, exploring … Read more
