At last I have emerged from my term paper-and-finals sequestration to discover that unpaid bills have bred and multiplied in my backpack, cars get ticketed when they aren't moved on certain week days, dogs don't stop pooping in their yard when no one's there to see them, and apparently there's a major holiday approaching. I'm beginning to understand the merits of viewing time as a circular dimension.

Nonetheless, it marches linearly on! I've got tons of links and articles to wade through that friends have directed me to, or that I spotted and set aside, and I'll get to those later today and tomorrow. For now, I'd like to direct your attention to this really lovely, thoughtful piece by James Carroll.