We often speak of the mind as an attic. I think that's because our heads are at the top end of our bodies; the brain is a storehouse under the eaves. But lately, I feel like my brain is more of a basement. I am digging deep, dredging up stuff I forgot that I had. ("Oh, yeah, her mother's only fifty-five, that's interesting, use it.") I am getting dirty and sweaty. There is little visible sign of progress. Read more [...]