Pity the nation
byPity the nation whose people are sheep And whose shepherds mislead them Pity the nation whose leaders are liars Whose sages are silenced And…
The joy of being flung
by Christie WalkuskiWe were city kids who had a bit of grass to play on. We lived in post-war garden apartments–brick, two-story buildings attached and arranged…
Listening is an act of community
by the daily asteriskHuman beings have always joined in groups to imagine how best to live and help one another carry out the plan. The essential function…
Imagination is the true fire
by the daily asteriskImagination is the true fire, stolen from heaven, to animate this cold creature of clay, producing all those fine sympathies that lead to rapture,…
The roaring twenties
by Stefanie Möser ZitöEditor’s note: Each Thursday, we feature a throwback piece from Topology’s predecessor, catapult magazine. In this essay from 2009, Stefanie Möser Zitö considers how to counteract the…
Work as play
by the daily asteriskWhat is true for children’s play is also true for adults’ sense of play. Research studies have shown repeatedly that adults who have a…
Hoop dreams of a younger sister
by Joy RiggsMy first basketball court was a smooth, square patch of concrete between the one-car garage and the rest of the dusty rock and gravel…
Power of play
by the daily asteriskPeople often think of play as frivolous or trivial, and they are right…. Play is activity conducted for its own sake rather than to…
H.G. Who?
by Marjorie Maddox“I’m going back in the time machine; I’ll be right back,” my daughter hollers from the backyard when it’s time to set the table….
Innate playfulness
by the daily asteriskChildren come into the world burning to learn and genetically programmed with extraordinary capacities for learning. They are little learning machines. Within their first…