About last evening ...

... I had a very satisfying time at Penn State Delaware County, where I was the keynote speaker at the Undergrad English Conference . Students, faculty and administrators were all impressive. The media may only pay attention to the sports or the occasional PC kerfuffle, but the real story on campuses has to do with committed teachers and enthusiastic students working together to what amounts to preserving civilization.

The point of my little talk was simply that English majors, through the study of literature, "acquire four very valuable skills: the ability to observe and appreciate life on its own terms; insight into human character; the ability to differentiate between sound information and unsound information; and the ability to express himself or herself clearly and persuasively."
Such skills enable one to undertake just about any task and, in this so-called information age, we need people with such skills more than we ever have.