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This looks like opening your dinner party with the question ‘What’s holding your attention right now?’ or seating folks next to each other that you know are both secret space nerds.

When I host, plan, or participate in intellectual gatherings, my purpose is always this: I want to escape the condemnation of Margo Roth Spiegelman. I want to talk about “anything that matters.”

Some people like to know exactly what they’re getting themselves into when trying something new. And some people would rather not know, for fear of crippling anticipatory dread. Don’t assume! While your inclination might be to detail exactly what is to come in order to make people more comfortable, consider how you might create tiers of information... See more

Physical affordances are things like stairs and handles and benches. Conversational affordances are things like digressions and confessions and bold claims that beg for a rejoinder. Talking to another person is like rock climbing, except you are my rock wall and I am yours. If you reach up, I can grab onto your hand, and we can both hoist ourselves... See more

Don’t Leave the Silly Out of the Serious, or the Serious out of the Silly