The Oral Tradition, and a Ghost Story from Me

Photo by Elena Penkova

I used to have a university professor, who didn’t have a television. Back then, I thought that astounding. How could someone be that puritan, so as to say such a firm no to pop culture? I liked him, that professor. He read a lot. He was thoughtful and measured in his responses, and spoke more slowly than I was used to. I wonder if he still has no telly.

We know it well, this century, the deceptively alluring call of the box, the restlessness of channel surfing when you...