Sentences: Samuel Johnson

Warm autumn lunch hour in Minneapolis

Sunday's Writer's Almanac points out:

In 1763, Johnson met young James Boswell, who was 22. They didn't get on terribly well at first, but they grew to be friends. Boswell kept remarkably detailed diaries, and he later wrote a comprehensive biography, The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. (1791). Boswell's scrupulous descriptions of Johnson's mannerisms led to a posthumous diagnosis of Tourette syndrome; his transcriptions of Johnson's many aphorisms made Johnson one of the most-quoted authors in the English language. Johnson said, as quoted by Boswell: "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." And, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." And, "A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization."

As I was jogging, I thought of:

A engaging provision for new voices is the true test of a university's humanities program.