Yes, the Pope Was Pontificating

Spoiler alert: that’s his job. From tyrant to lord: what leadership words remember that leaders forget

Apr 18

13

2

The Old Serendipity Shop

Fight the algorithm with a digital-analog approximation

Apr 4

9

1

March 2026

Musically Speaking

Musical terms that have crept into our vocabulary

Mar 21

5

Whisky Tango Foxtrot — The Alphabet of War

History is full of small inventions that quietly shape the modern world — including the words pilots still use in the middle of war.

Mar 7

7

2

February 2026

The Beauty That Words Hold

A small rebellion against ugliness

Feb 21

8

3

Lost Words, Found Hypocrisies

A glossary of forgotten biblical terms for the age of performative piety. Or, "Let us prey."

Feb 7

10

3

3

January 2026

A Small Dictionary of Dishonor

Civilized Words for Uncivil Acts

Jan 24

13

1

Banished Words for 2026

My bad

Jan 10

10

December 2025

A Year’s Worth of Word Nerdiness

A lexical stroll through 2025

Dec 27, 2025

9

3

Old Thoughts for Christmas

Kindness, surprise, generosity, slowing down to savor life, and the triumph of love and hope over hardship

Dec 13, 2025

10

1

3

November 2025

That’s Intense

As intense as all get-out

Nov 29, 2025

7

Solemn Sound-Sculpted Sentences

Softly, subtly, speech shimmers: alliteration, ancient and artful, awakes attention.

Nov 15, 2025

8

3

3