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T Culturally, the modern African tragic hero stands apart from his western counterpart. In western tradition, tragedy often ends in disgrace_ a fall so complete it consumes the hero's honor. In African storytelling, misfortune is rarely the end. It is a passage, a cycle, a painful but necessary means to regeneration.That...

A long while ago, in a cafe, I met a blind musician whose mastery over a multitude of instruments was astonishing. Each note carried such confidence, such presence — as if he were speaking directly through the music. The only other person I have met with that same command is...

Through our actions, people judge our character. For those of us who engage in what is called "creative work" today, one trait stands out almost universally: This is the heightened sensitivity to both the outer world of stimuli and the inner world of emotion. This sensitivity is the fuel that allows...

Illusions are not the opposite of reality. They are part of it. They are a phenomenon that lives in our expectations, in our judgments, in the way we interpret the world. We act according to them, and so they shape our actions. There is one illusion in particular that affects...