A General Education

Project Hail Mary and Learning Experience Design

Or, should you share your slides before a presentation?

May 22 • James M. Lang

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March 2026

Lessons on Artificial Intelligence from My Father's Home Office

Plus two great opportunities to push your writing projects forward this summer.

Mar 24 • James M. Lang

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February 2026

84, Charing Cross Road: The Power and Pleasure of the Very Short Book

A few months ago in this space I discussed the effects of reading a very long book: David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens.

Feb 6 • James M. Lang

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January 2026

In Which I Resolve to Not Write Every Day for 2026, Which is What I Would Have Done Anyway

What I learned from tracking my writing process over the course of a month, and from Helen Sword's research on daily writing practices.

Jan 7 • James M. Lang

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December 2025

My Randomized Book Shelves

A love letter to my physical books and my disordered shelving habits.

Dec 9, 2025 • James M. Lang

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October 2025

Learning and the Very Loooong Book

The not-so-hidden features of learning that we receive from long-form writing (i.e., books).

Oct 14, 2025 • James M. Lang

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September 2025

On the Power of the Menial, the Boring, the Painstaking . . .

What happened when I embraced a very boring learning task. Or: When philomathy isn't quite so philo.

Sep 4, 2025 • James M. Lang

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July 2025

Vending Machine Hemingway: Reflections on Place-Based Reading

What can we learn about reading from the books inspired by our travels?

Jul 22, 2025 • James M. Lang

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June 2025

Books! The New Book (on Writing) and the Book-In-Progress (on Reading)

A break in our regularly-scheduled programming to celebrate the newly published book--and announce the next one.

Jun 13, 2025 • James M. Lang

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April 2025

William Wordsworth On Writing through Imposter Syndrome

The power of "spots of time" to push us beyond our writing barriers and blocks when we are wrestling with big ideas.

Apr 17, 2025 • James M. Lang

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March 2025

Eugene O'Neill on Convincing People

How I misinterpreted the point of classroom discussions when I was a student, and what I have learned since.

Mar 12, 2025 • James M. Lang

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January 2025

Reflections on Brain Stories (a Dispatch from the Neurologist's Office)

A trip to the brain doctor reminded me of the power of choosing the path of more resistance.

Jan 24, 2025 • James M. Lang

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