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I had a chat with the Little Prince a few years back; he told me that my academic writing was BORING and urged me to find some new planets to dwell on! “Tell stories,” the Prince exhorted. “Write poems. Show us the real people in your research. Bring out the colors of those metaphors, their depth, their energy!” Here's my newsletter post about our conversation: https://helensword.substack.com/p/what-the-little-prince-said

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Thank goodness for the Little Prince! 👑

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Indeed, agreed!!! Academia thanks you, Helen, for this powerful conversation with the Little Prince!! 🥳

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I like asking Ishmael (from Moby-Dick) for guidance on how to express ideas. He was so skillful at using humor to ground his grand epic quest and soaring philosophical flights of fancy in the comic, ordinary indignities of being human. Still have much to learn from his example :)

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Oh, my heart!! Yes!! " I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I'll go to it laughing." ❤️‍🔥

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So, so good 📖

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This is so much fun! Depending on my dilemma, I would choose Pooh Bear. He needs everything explained to him and is going to find something soft and shockingly insightful to say in response.

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Absolutely love Pooh Bear! And I could see the two of you getting along famously. 🍯 I think a big reason Pooh is so comforting to watch is that Pooh can hear the narrator of his story and have conversations with him. What a safe feeling, to be held inside a story! Maybe in your Pooh convos, the narrator can have a seat at the table too :)

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OMGosh, Michelle!! This is so cute, I can picture the two of you sitting in conversation, maybe even sharing a jar of sacred sweet honey together :)

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haha definitely Edith! I, like Pooh, am often Rumbly in the Tumbly :)))

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I am a total sucker for the classics; characters have such incredible depth! I've learned so much about living through my reading life, and one of my favorite characters is Hester Prynne. My research topic is mentorship, I'm exploring different forms and not just human relationships. Much like Prynne, I find solace in nature, away from people, where I can wander with my thoughts, and I'm curious about this mentorship alternative in others. Prynne and I had a wonderfully insightful conversation. 🥰 Thank you for this beautiful prompt.

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Wow, you're reminding me that I was in high school when I read the Scarlett Letter and clearly need to go back for a read as an adult.

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