【推荐1】When I was young, strong heroes in my favorite novels gave me courage and provide a map for my life. And I didn’t discover the power of poetry until I was in my twenties and making my way in New York. That’s when life got serious and broke my heart.

A teacher who later became a dear friend introduce me to Edna St. Vincent Milly (ESVM), the famous poet who lived in Manhattan at the turn of the 20^th century. One of my favorite possessions-a valuable first-edition copy of ESVM’s short poetry collection. A Few Fig from Thistles－was a gift from this friend who was old enough to be my mother at the time. She told me the first “fig” described how I was living my life. My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night; but ah, my enemies, and oh,my friends－it gives a lovely night!

I was struggling to make ends meet but always made the time for fun by hanging out with friends. Some of them of course were careless with my heart but I could always find comfort and courage in ESVM’s wise words.

Rather than bore my friends, I could fall into my sorrow－whether it hit me－cry as much as I wanted in my bedroom. I found everything I needed in those 32 pages－hope, wisdom and encouragement. In the years since, I’ve found myself attracted to poetry whenever someone caused me pain.

Is it actually possible for something as common as a poem to save a life? I’m not certain of that but I can prove the power of words. Like a relaxing walk outside, poetry can provide a healthy distraction and a meaningful change in perspective.

Like music, poetry speaks a universal language of rhythm, and speaks truths in a language that describes emotions. So why not keep interested in poems?

【推荐2】I believe in figuring out my own way to do things. This approach can yield great results, but it's got its negative sides. Much of my individualist, bone-headed nature comes from my grandfather.

Opa grew up in New York's rough-and-tumble Lower East Side, didn't go to college, but owned and ran two successful business: a restaurant and a car wash. He figured out what he wanted to do, and how to do it without studying a manual. He used his own creativity to solve problems as they came up.

After he died, realtors (房产经纪人) tried to sell his home. They discovered he had devised his own way of hooking up the septic system. No one could figure out how it worked, so it couldn't pass codes. But it worked, and for many years beyond his time.

Sometimes I wonder if my banjo (班卓琴) playing would pass codes. I didn't learn to play bluegrass, classic music or jazz in school. I took banjo lessons from some of the best, but my breakthrough moments came when I left the lesson plans. I remember seeing jazz great Chick Corea when I was 17. There was a moment of revelation when I realized that all the notes he was playing had to exist on my banjo. I went home and stayed up most of the night, figuring out the scales, modes and arpeggios (琶音) for myself, mapping out the banjo fingerboard in my own way.

When I perform with my own group, my map of the banjo is all I need. But when I move into, more conventional jazz or classical situations, I don't always have the tools to fit in. I can barely read music. I don' thoroughly understand the conventions of each tradition and I'm not sure how to voice jazz chords — which notes to leave out and all the rhythmic concepts. I worry that my approach might not be built on a strong enough musical foundation.

It's this fear that allows me no rest in my musical pursuits. When I'm at work — whether it is writing, practicing or editing and mixing CDs — I obsess. To say that I am picky is understatement. Delegating is pretty much impossible; I can be downright controlling. I have to get everything just right. Then, one day, the intensity disappears. This usually means the project is done.

【推荐3】On October 27,2020, my friend and I boarded the first flight of our journey from Vancouver Island, to Peru, South America.

Twenty-four hours and four airports later we landed in Cusco, Peru, a city of one million people. Coming from Vancouver Island with only 100 feet above sea level, we knew that we were now at a much higher altitude (海拔) — over 11,000 feet — and needed time to get used to the scarcer oxygen (缺氧) levels! We followed the advice of other travellers and the locals: drink lots of coca leaf tea and rest for a couple of hours before any activity.

We were soon hiking through the ruins (遗迹) and surrounding ancient castles of Cusco. Leaving Cusco the next day, we stopped at the Moray Ruins, which were used for farming by the Incas. Their size and unique design should be considered a lesson in historical engineering skills. This Inca site is one of the least known tourist destinations, but it’s one of the most interesting places to visit.

Arriving in the beautiful Sacred Valley, we stayed at Willka T’ika for the next week. This place is wonderful. We enjoyed delicious vegetarian meals, all made with local produce by loving Quechua people.

You can’t go to Peru without visiting historic Machu Picchu. The “road”up to the ruins is made up of an endless series of switchbacks (急转弯), resulting in cold sweats. It was worth the ride, though.

It was too soon before we were leaving Peru. We learned the unique history of Inca, Quechua culture, and the farming methods still widely practiced. The best thing we took away returning home to Vancouver Island was how simple and caring the people are and how deeply they love the earth and everyone they meet.

【推荐1】My earliest reading memory takes me back to being five years old, sitting in my grandfather’s cozy study. He would read to me from his French-translated copy of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. I was so familiar with the stories that I could correct him word-for-word if he tried to change something.

Growing up, my favorite book was Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes. It was a treasure for an imaginative and lonely child like me. The book was filled with magical elements: a magical carousel, monsters, and the charming scent of autumn leaves lying in the sun. The language was as crisp and sweet as an October apple, awakening in me a deep passion for words and the magic they could bring out. I’ve reread it regularly and it never fails to satisfy me.

In my adult years, I revisited Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. When I first read it at 16, I perceived it as a love story. However, rereading it as an adult, I was struck by how different it seemed to me, and how much of the humour I’d missed. Now I love its poetry. And the love story not only exists between the characters but between Brontë and the North York Moors.

James Joyce’s Ulysses was a book I came back to after 40 years. Initially, at 15, I found it ugly, depressing, and dull, and I hated it. It took me four decades to return to it, and this time, I found myself understanding and beginning to appreciate it. I could see the details, the mythic parallels, the references to different writing styles, and the groundbreaking technique.

Though some exceptional books can develop and grow alongside us, others fall by the wayside. I’ve revisited so many childhood favourites only to find the magic gone, but I’m usually happy to leave the book behind. I’ve taken from it what I need.

【推荐2】Lindsey Stallworth, a high school student from Alabama, is on her way to a promising career in paleontology (古生物学) due to an unexpected discovery on family property. For years, she had been collecting fossils on their land in Monroe County, unaware of significant scientific value. However, her teacher at the Alabama School of Math and Science, Dr. Andrew Gentry, a paleontologist himself, took an interest when she showed him her collection.

“Upon examining the fossil shark teeth Lindsey presented, I quickly identified one and became eager to learn about its origin,” said Andrew.

Lindsey guided her mentor through the rural area where she had unearthed various relics, including shark teeth. Before long, they encountered an especially significant find on the grounds: a large bone from a 34-million-year-old whale skeleton! This led the pair to launch the huge project of uncovering the rest of the bones. After two months of hard work, they’ve managed to find the animal’s skull.

“Assuming the entire skeleton is present, it may require several years for us to have the entire animal back in the lab,” Andrew explained.

Lindsey secured a research scholarship to persist in her fossil-digging expeditions alongside her instructor. Her enthusiasm for the project was at an all-time high, though she had never imagined a childhood pastime would lead her down this road. “We would go out and pick up shark teeth and fossil shells, but we never knew anyone that could tell us anything about them,” she recalled. “We just thought they were cool.”

“The Research Fellows Program allows Lindsey to gain real-world experience in scientific research and even present that research at professional conferences,” Andrew said. “ It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a high school student to stand out when applying to college and maybe even discover a new career path.”