Losing Tillie Olsen

A few days ago the brilliant poet, author, and activist Tillie Olsen died. I had never heard of Olsen until my junior year of college, when we had to read a few of her works for an English class. Although not even graduating from high school has the potential to make an academic career difficult, Olsen did wonderfully in life. The hardships she faced made her writing real; she did not write about people she did not understand. She was part of the lower class. She worked, fought for workers rights, and specifically for the right to organize and be in a union. NPR did a nice little segment for her that you can listen to here, and you can read her Wikipedia bio here. I'd also recommend finding some of her writings and checking them out if you never have before.

Peace,
Matt

Books: I just read Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. As somebody who understands next to nothing when it comes to science, there were many parts that were difficult for me to understand. At the same time, it was a fascinating text, as his insights into paradigm shifts were very thoughtful and thought-provoking. Right now I'm reading Chronicles Volume 1 by Bob Dylan. I had heard mixed reviews, but honestly think it is an absolutely amazing book for anybody who is interested in Dylan, folk music, or the 60's. What he chooses to focus on, and not even mention, is actually kinda fun, and overall there are some things he says that really makes you feel like he is a true artist, and furthermore that there is a true vocational status to artists, like a calling from God. Lastly, I just read this month's issue of Harp magazine. I had never heard of it before, but my little brother bought me a subscription for Christmas. It was great; I'm finally catching up to the music scene a little bit! Also, there is a great article on Tom Waits, whose new albums are really, really good.