She measured time in pages. Half an hour, to her, meant ten pages read, or fourteen, depending on the size of the type, and when you think of time in this way there isn’t time for anything else
“Part of the pleasure I take in being a writer and reader of poetry is this instant intimacy….As you know, the relationship between reader and writer is reciprocal. We bring with us all that we are, the sum total of our experiences up to that point. There’s an exchange happening—one that encourages vulnerability, one that can transform strangers into kin.”
“I now have the privilege and option to choose books I don’t have to try so hard to find myself in. I no longer have to participate in the mental gymnastics that were required to turn white protagonists black. I don’t have to read a book like Jane Eyrethat makes me feel shame for relating more to the demonic, nonwhite villain than the actual heroine.”
Tradition tells us that the code which was to govern Roman life was composed by a commission, first of ten and then of twelve men, in 451-450 BCE. It was then ratified by the Centuriate Assembly in 449 BCE. The laws were engraved on twelve tablets – hence the title – which were attached to the a speaking platform (rostra) which sat before the Roman Senate in the forum. By putting the twelve tables in the middle of what was the main public square, the Romans made their foundational laws accessible to all. Anyone who could read could know the law.
Some of my favorite gems from the twelve tables include:
If the defendant attempts evasion or takes flight the plaintiff shall lay hand on him. (The accuser got to chase down the accused, and kidnap them to force them to court???)
A notably deformed child shall be killed immediately.
Women, even though they are of full age, because of their levity of mind shall be under guardianship … except vestal virgins, who … shall be free from guardianship …
If anyone sings or composes an incantation that can cause dishonor or disgrace to another … he shall suffer a capital penalty
Expenses of a funeral shall be limited to three mourners wearing veils and one mourner wearing an inexpensive purple tunic and ten flutists . …
… A myrrh-spiced drink … shall not be poured on a dead person. (This is randomly specific.)
Pollinators such as bees play a key part of producing the beans that go into your morning cup of coffee. They’re responsible for about 20 to 25 percent of coffee production by increasing the plants’ yield. But climate change is threatening both pollinators and the areas where coffee can grow.
