Portrait of a Genius as a Young Girl
It’s not often that we get to witness the first swings of someone who goes on to be the best tennis player in the world. Today’s our lucky day: here is Dinara Safina, current world … keep reading
Amsterdam
Just back from a speaking engagement in Amsterdam — what a marvelous city, in every sense of the word. I marveled mostly at the spectacle of thousands of people on bikes whizzing around the streets. … keep reading
What Can Myelin Do For You?
If business is sport (and I think it is), few companies are as good at cultivating talent as quiet, non-flashy United Parcel Service. This article gives a glimpse at the machinery behind UPS’s success. In a … keep reading
Loop of Redemption
As a longtime scribbler whose handwriting is nearly indecipherable, this story by Slate’s Emily Yoffe hits close to home. In it, Yoffe tries to improve the handwriting skills of herself and her eighth-grade daughter. In … keep reading
A Star is Grown
Danyl Johnson is apparently the Next Big Thing — a humble, unknown teacher from Reading, England, who came out of nowhere to star on the British talent show “The X Factor.” You can see it … keep reading
Tiny Island, Huge Talent
Talk about a talent hotbed: Curacao is back in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA, this week, having won the tough Caribbean Region for the ninth consecutive year. For reasons why, check out … keep reading
Actors and Generals
I’ve always enjoyed Ben Kingsley’s work; I will enjoy it even more after hearing him talk about his craft on Charlie Rose, comparing the skill of acting to the skill of being a general in … keep reading
Learning Perfect Pitch
I was listening to my latest obsession, RadioLab NYC, and came across a great story about perfect pitch — that rare ability to precisely identify any musical note possessed by Mozart, Hendrix, Ray Charles, etc … keep reading
Look Who’s Thinking!
A fascinating piece by Alison Gopnik (who happens to be the sister of Adam Gopnik, one of my favorite writers — talk about talent hotbeds!) about how smart babies really are. The short answer: a … keep reading
Sparks Flying
It’s a terrific story: a 37-year-old, 110th-ranked Joe Nobody comes back in the final round of the PGA Tournament to defeat Tiger Woods. What makes Y.E. Yang’s story even greater, however, is his backstory. As … keep reading