Anna Quindlen is often invited to speak at graduations, because she's so damned good at it. There's no other way to describe it. She has the gift of the columnist's punch-to-the-gut line, along with just enough perspective and way with words to make it work.
This is her commencement speech at Villanova University several years ago. I found a printout of it when I was cleaning out my "files" (that's a cardbox box to you...). Here it is, electronically. I enjoyed reading it. I think you will too.
"People don't talk about the soul very much anymore. It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is a cold comfort on a winter night, or when you're sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you've gotten back the test results and they're not so good."
Nice new blog. I like what you're writing, but I have to warn you that I used to be a clown.
Posted by: joanna | April 20, 2005 at 06:05 PM