backstory: Fishing stories

A few years ago, I was teaching a survey of modern art class at Purchase College, SUNY, to about 100 or so students, mostly freshmen and sophomores.  About 20 minutes into the lecture on I-can’t-remember-what, I thought to myself: “I’m bored.” Now, here’s the important part. Remember this … If you’re talking to a bunch of people and you’re bored with what you’re saying, they are also bored.  I can assure you of this, absolutely, 100%. I stopped abruptly, looked around the lecture hall, and said: “You’re bored, aren’t you?” Astonished, they quietly, cautiously, almost unilaterally nodded. “You want to talk about something else for a while?” More nodding. “OK. What?”  “YOU LOOK LIKE TINA FEY.” “SHE DOESN’T JUST LOOK LIKE HER, SHE ACTS LIKE HER TOO.” And so on. (This is not, by the way, an uncommon observation I hear.) Then we went back to the lecture with an improved energy and finished it up.

Never underestimate a good digression.

Tracy Fitzpatrick

Director, Neuberger Museum of Art

p.s. A posthumous thanks to Mr. Fossett, my high school geometry teacher, for telling us those fishing stories every once in a while during class.  I got it.