“Hesiod describes Pandora as kalon kakon, beautiful evil. Is this reference to women as evil, written sometime between 750–650 BCE, the first such recorded calumny against the gender? Perhaps not. The Judeo-Christian reference to…

“My first column of the year, after a long silence, won’t be sweet or pretty, for pretty is a weak thing robbed of power by mediocrity, and this is no time for either.…

“She was aware of the cold polished floor beneath her cheek, of light blazing through the window. She was aware of the fact that the street beyond the window, two stories down, had…

“‘You’re so angry. Why are you so angry?’ he asked, almost in a whisper. ‘Life is why. So, tell me, my wise, calm friend, where I can register my complaint? Whom can I…

“Thalia began by pointing out the general geography of Athens and proceeded to speak about the history of the small church, whose exterior walls gleamed white and whose bright blue painted dome was…

“He peered at me through the rearview mirror, and replied, ‘Yes, Miss. Cigarettes and pens, one at a time, will feed his family for a couple of weeks.’ Although Bashir’s tone was calm…

“I whirled to face him, and saw a red-faced Englishman, staring at me belligerently. He was responsible for the production of the prototype furnishings. Not far from him stood a tall young Sudanese…

“I asked the architects if there were a museum or gallery where I might see Sudanese artifacts and explained, ‘I tailor my designs to reflect the culture of each country in which I…

“As I followed a large contingent of UN representatives down the stairs towards the tarmac, I wondered at their numbers. Braced against the discomfort of temperatures I did not expect at midnight, even…

“Before I explain what I mean by survival, let me clarify that the mastery I speak of is not simply the control of breath and body, but of thoughts, speech, behavior towards others,…