Literary – May 11

“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.” -Richard Feynman, born this date in 1918. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist knows s/he must not fall prey to self-delusion but does so anyway.

Journaling + Fiction – May 11

“As soon as any man says of the affairs of the State ‘What does it matter to me?’ the State may be given up for lost.”Jean-Jacques Rousseau Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a matter of public interest you know you should care about but don’t. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s ignorance of a matter of public importance puts her/him in a...

Big Questions – May 11

If you could travel back in time and return with a single object, what would you fetch home with you? Journaling prompt: Spend 15-20 minutes writing your answer in the spirit of exploring yourself and the world around you. If you can answer with a simple “yes” or “no,” explain the sources or implications of your response. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene that forces a character in your story to answer the...

Romance – May 11

Irving Berlin was born on this date in 1888. In this video, Harry Richman performs one of Berlin’s most famous compositions: Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist puts on the ritz only to learn her/his rationale has been...

Mystery – May 11

“I think it’s much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong.” -Richard Feynman, born this date in 1918. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist learns an answer on which s/he has relied for many years is wrong.

SciFi/Fantasy – May 11

On this date in 1997, IBM’s Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov in a six-game match. Writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist realizes that something mechanical can replace him/her.

Secondary – May 11

“Reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.” -Richard Feynman, born this date in 1918. Describe your favorite example of this principle.

Primary – May 11

On this date in 1928, the first scheduled TV programs were broadcast by WGY in Schenectady, New York. If there were only one television station, what kind of programs should it broadcast each day?