More Noted Things
In March, Listening to Words went online. It offers notable lectures and speeches, many of them originally given at American colleges and universities. The site is searchable. Here's its list of 155 lectures in History and Geography. Hat tip.
Joshua Foer,"A Minor History of Miniature Writing," Cabinet, Spring, pegs benchmarks in the history of putting more and more on less and less. Hat tip.
John Noble Wilford,"How the Inca Leapt Canyons," NYT, 8 May. They didn't have the stone arch or the wheel, but the Inca had suspension bridges and the vulcanization of rubber. Students at MIT attempt to replicate Incan suspension bridges.
Finally, Lee Hill Kavanaugh's"35 Minutes to Live, Feel Love," Chicago Tribune, 3 May, may be the most extraordinary piece of journalism that you'll read this year.
See also: Kavanaugh,"Love to Last a Lifetime," Kansas City Star, 15 April; and Kavanaugh,"Hi. This is Mommy," Kansas City Star, 16 April. Thanks to Andrew Ackerman and Ed Schmitt for the tips.