April 2017

April 26, 2017

Pay more attention at the art museum.

I say there’s more than meets the eye at the Art Institute of Chicago. All these years, I've been focusing exclusively on the art. But after a recent visit, brilliance (of another kind) caught my eye. The titles. Like Salvador Dali’s A Chemist Lifting with Extreme Precaution the Cuticle of a Grand Piano, (pictured above). Not an afterthought, but a carefully curated string of words. Now, they’re a lot like hidden gems. You have to wade through a fair amount of Portraits of X...

April 5, 2017

in Words

by Karen Rafeedie

The words I hate.

Every year, at least one more makes it to the list. For some reason I feel the need to document them. I’m not alone. You’ll find there are many polls out there. Usually “moist” is at the top. That one doesn’t bother me. However, “pewter” and “clot” are another story. Also “lux” and “plush.” It’s highly subjective because I can say “panties” no problem. Give me “viscous” any day. But don’t expect me to hang around if you’re talking about “slaw” or anything that needs a “dollop.”...

Pay more attention at the art museum.

The words I hate.

Copyright © 2017 Karen Rafeedie