Vampire /ˈvamˌpī(ə)r/ Noun a mythical undead monster that drinks the blood of the living The strength of the vampire is that people will not believe in him. – Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker (1847-1912)

Benevolent /bəˈnevələnt/ Adjective generous, kind hearted To feel much for others and little for ourselves; to restrain our selfishness and exercise our benevolent affections, constitute the perfection of human nature. Adam Smith (1723-1790)

Necessity /nəˈsesədē/ Noun 1. need, requirement Education is an organic necessity of a human being. Horace Mann (1796-1859) 2. something indispensable or needed Art is a luxury but also a necessity.  Edwidge Danticat (1969-)

Antibiotic /ˌan(t)ēˌbīˈädik,ˌanˌtīˌbīˈädik,ˌan(t)ēbēˈädik,ˌanˌtībēˈädik/ Noun a substance, such as penicillin, that kills or inhibits harmful microorganisms and is used to treat bacterial infections A good apology is like an antibiotic, a bad apology is like rubbing salt in the wound. Randy Pausch (1960-2008)

Zany /ˈzānē/ Adjective crazy, comic, absurd Who hasn’t felt creatively liberated writing in a private diary or doodling in a notebook, knowing no one will ever see these zany scribbles? Eric Weiner (1963-)

Chaos /ˈkāˌäs/ Noun disorder, confusion, upheaval Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos. Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021)

Stimulate /ˈstimyəˌlāt/ Verb to activate, to excite A society’s competitive advantage will come not from how well its schools teach the multiplication and periodic tables, but from how well they stimulate imagination and creativity. Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Ferment /ˌfərmənˈt/ Verb to undergo the process by which sugars are broken down into alcohol, lactic acid, or carbon dioxide As I travel through life, I gather experiences that lie imprinted on the deepest strata of memory, and there they ferment, are transformed, and sometimes rise to the surface and sprout like strange plants from other worlds. Isabel Allende (1942-)