The Doors and Windows of Opportunity

Once, on my birthday, I saw Billy Collins read some of his work.

He talked about the kind of poetry he admires, and the kind he aspired to write. He described a poem as a house, a mansion - inside, there can be any number of rooms, decorated any way you wish, with any number of things happening.

But mansion or humble cottage, any house must have a door. A poem, like a house, must have a way inside.



So too must an education.



In my graduate program, we talked a lot about multiple entry points into curriculum. I do think it's important to have a diverse number of ways to connect with whatever subject matter is at hand, whether it's art, science, writing, whatever. But here's the thing. No matter what you're studying, the way inside is to feel that it's worth walking through the door. That whatever's on the other side is something you want to see.

How do you make that happen?

Open up all the windows, let in the light.

And more detailed information will be coming soon, but for now, know this: letting in the light is exactly what I plan to do.