Act! Organize. It’s boring but do it, the world ends if you don’t.

And as long as I have slipped and am offering advice, here’s some more: Don’t smoke, are you crazy? Don’t take drugs, aren’t there enough chemicals in your shampoo and your apples and your air and your antihistamine, don’t drink it makes you sloppy, don’t drive an SUV are you crazy, don’t make deals with the devil don’t even do lunch with the devil don’t even take his phone calls; he wants you to write a screenplay for him and he wants to give you NOTES.

We had our commencement ceremony the other day. I didn’t wear those robes or march after having sat sweating under the sun. Only drank the champagne that had been poured in clear plastic glasses by the college catering staff, and then shook hands with the parents of my lovely students milling about under the giant tree in front of the library. Champagne sparkles in such a nice way in the May sunlight. The new graduates looked so happy. It was a gorgeous event. The next day at a faculty party my host said that the best commencement address at Vassar in recent years was by Tony Kushner. Indeed, it was. I just read it on the Vassar website and recommend it to all.

Here’s the link to the published version in The Nation.

tony-kushner-vassar-commencement

Hay-on-Wye police station is a modest, friendly, 1960s bungalow. A notice stuck to the reception desk invites visitors to a charity car boot sale; notices inform the curious about Peregrine Watch and warn the reckless off drink-driving. It was into these peaceful environs that Guardian columnist George Monbiot materialised, politely to inform the officer that he intends to make a citizen’s arrest at the festival tonight. The intended object is John Bolton, former US ambassador to the United Nations, on the grounds that there is “prima facie evidence” that the former US under-secretary of state for arms control is “guilty of war crimes”. Behaving as if Monbiot was reporting a lost mobile phone, the officer admirably took the explanation of Nuremberg principles this and UN charter that in his stride, and promised to “pass the matter on to Brecon”. An unusual visit? “We get a variety of inquiries in this police station,” returned the unruffled officer.

A diary entry from the Hay Festival. Brilliant!

More here and here.