Palimpsest pal·imp·sest /ˈpaləm(p)ˌsest/ Noun a manuscript that has been erased and written on again, with faint traces of the original writing still visible “Every act of reading is an act of forgetting: the experience of reading is a palimpsest, in which each text partially covers those that came before.” James A. Secord (1953 -)

Utopia u·to·pi·a /yo͞oˈtōpēə/ Noun heaven on earth, an ideal place “A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which Humanity is always landing.” – Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900)

Epigram ep·i·gram /ˈepəˌɡram/ Noun a pithy phrase, a witty saying “The making of a good epigram is like the construction of a ship in a bottle; it has to be small enough to fit in a tiny space, but it should come packing a cannon or two.” – W. Somerset Maugham (1874 – 1865)

Discord dis·cord /ˈdiˌskôrd/ Noun conflict, opposition, differences “Medicine to produce health must examine disease; and music, to create harmony, must investigate discord.” – Plutarch (45 – 120)

Correspondence cor·re·spond·ence /ˌkôrəˈspänd(ə)n(t)s/ Noun 1. a letter, an exchange of letters “Our correspondences have wings – paper birds that fly from my house to yours – flocks of ideas crisscrossing the country.” – Terry Tempest Williams (1955 – ) 2. similarity, equivalence, connection “In the motion of the very leaves of spring, in the blue air, there is then found a secret correspondence with... Read More

Atlas at·las /ˈatləs/ Noun a book or section of a book that has maps “Buy an atlas and keep it by the bed – remember you can go anywhere.” – Joanna Lumley (1946 -)

Kaleidoscope ka·lei·do·scope /kəˈlīdəˌskōp/ Noun an optical instrument exhibiting an endless variety of colored geometric patterns “Life is like an ever-shifting kaleidoscope – a slight change, and all patterns alter.” Sharon Salzberg (1952-)

Pompous pomp·ous/ˈpämpəs/ Adjective arrogant, self-important “Take events in your life seriously, take work seriously, but don’t take yourself seriously, or you’ll become affected, pompous and boring.” – Shelly Duvall (1949 – 2024)