From an interview with Tom Stoppard on his creative process, excerpted from Salon’s ongoing Brilliant Careers section:

“He sought to ensure that his insights ‘weren’t simply the average conclusions of a first-year philosophy student,’ he told the Times of London in 1972, ‘which indeed they invariably turned out to be.'”

We saw The Invention of Love on Broadway earlier this year. While I regretfully admit to nearly dozing off during the first act, the play was in fact a workout and massage for the mind. Big ideas were flying around in a dozen directions (bicycles!) but afterwards my head felt expanded and invigorated. I attribute my near-loss of consciousness more to exhaustion, a comfy chair and a dark room than to anything in the play itself.

This article also reminded me that I still haven’t read Arcadia. Maybe I’ll go grab a copy today.