Most of us know F. Scott Fitzgerald as the author of The Great Gatsby—that canonical text, ubiquitous in high school English classes and revisited in a recent film version. But the American author wrote a number of other works—haunting, evocative novels like Tender is the Night, as well as a few collections of short stories.
First published in 1931 in The Saturday Evening Post, “Babylon Revisited” follows the main character, Charlie, as he tries to regain custody of his daughter.
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Though we often think about creativity as the production of an original work of art—a painting or a novel, perhaps—creativity is also the ability to synthesize and build on information. Creativity is innovation and problem solving; it’s seeing patterns and learning to explain them. When we say that something provokes creativity, we usually mean that it is in some way inspiring or that it encourages people to think outside of the box.
New research on creativity at work, however, indicates that creating the conditions for creativity might be less about inspiring an individual than it is about creating good teams and a space for respectful, common dialogue.
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In his recent TED Talk, Princeton professor Uri Hasson investigates what he calls “a device that can record my memories, my dreams, my ideas, and transmit them to your brain.” Drawing on his research, Hasson argues that this “game-changing technology” already exists—that it has existed for thousands of years, though we are only now learning to understand how it works.
The technology is “human communication” and, most important, “effective storytelling.”
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What are you reading this weekend? We’re thinking about the power of metaphor to shape our experience—and even the way we understand ourselves. We’re also enjoying some insightful author interviews; reading six of the best short stories published this year; reflecting on one man’s astonishing feat of memory; and worrying about the loss of humanity in the workplace.
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Leo Tolstoy, the nineteenth-century Russian author, is best known for Anna Karenina and War and Peace. Both novels are massive, brick-like tomes. But Tolstoy wrote accessible short stories, too. “The Three Questions” was published in 1885, as part of a larger collection.
“Three Questions” begins with a king and his desire to do right—or, at least, to avoid failure.
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We’ve written a great deal about the power of conversations on this blog. Books@Work professors have considered how our seminars create space for hard conversations in the workplace and how they help us bridge differences and share ideas. When writing our reflections—our “Musings”—we continually refer back to our own conversations with participants. Conversations, we recognize time and again, open the door to empathy and understanding. They bring us closer to one another—especially when we take the time to share our stories and listen to those of others.
Recent research confirms our sense that conversation has the power to transform people and their relationships with others.
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Looking for something to read this weekend? We are intrigued by recent research on the importance of groups to happy, healthy workplaces. What’s more, we’re celebrating spring with reflections on literary essays and sports, sharing a favorite Books@Work book, and thinking about the relationship between language and our lived experience.
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Professors contribute very important elements to the success of our programs. Their years in the classroom help them foster thriving conversations in our discussion groups. Their time spent facilitating discussion helps them create safe spaces for difference and even productive disagreement. And their subject matter expertise brings an added layer of depth to discussion sessions. Most of all, professors are curious. They are curious about the participants’ life experiences and the way in which these experiences shape their reading of a text. They are excited to share their own interests with others.
Curiosity—the kind professors exhibit and foster—is a key to knowledge retention, making it instrumental to lifelong learning.
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April in the United States is National Poetry Month, and so it seems appropriate, as we read mindfully once again, to turn to a poet whose work emphasizes the relationship between the natural world and our deepest selves. A fellow of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences and winner of the National Humanities Medal, Wendell Berry is a prolific writer of prose—fiction and nonfiction—and poetry.
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We’ve combed the Internet—and our bookshelves—for some great reading. This weekend we’re thinking about reading and empathy, first impressions, the relationship between fantasy and reality, and book groups. We’ve included some poetry and book recommendations, too.
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