Secretary of Foreign Relations

Joel Dueck

Humans, like dogs and dolphins, are social creatures, but through literacyThe secretary, a compartmentalized working-space, may be thought of as the RSS reader of the past. (Historic Fort Snelling, MN; photo by the author) we have been able to make use of our need for company in ways which do not depend on presence. In correspondence, in reading, in thought structured upon and exchanged through paper, we invented and cultivated a wholly new pleasure: one which combines solitary reflection with conversation.

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Working Notebook

Poems

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions

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Part I: This World

  1. Of the Nature of Flatland.
  2. Of the Climate and Houses in Flatland.
  3. Concerning the Inhabitants of Flatland.
  4. Concerning the Women.
  5. Of our Methods of Recognizing one another.
  6. Of Recognition by Sight.
  7. Concerning Irregular Figures.
  8. Of the Ancient Practice of Painting.
  9. Of the Universal Colour Bill.
  10. Of the Suppression of the Chromatic Sedition.
  11. Concerning Our Priests.
  12. Of the Doctrine of our Priests.

Part II: Other Worlds

  1. How I had a Vision of Lineland.
  2. How I vainly tried to explain the nature of Flatland.
  3. Concerning a Stranger from Spaceland.
  4. How the Stranger vainly endeavoured to reveal to me in words the mysteries of Spaceland.
  5. How the Sphere, having in vain tried words, resorted to deeds.
  6. How I came to Spaceland, and what I saw there.
  7. How, though the Sphere showed me other mysteries of Spaceland, I still desired more; and what came of it.
  8. How the Sphere encouraged me in a Vision.
  9. How I tried to teach the theory of Three Dimensions to my Grandson, and with what success.
  10. How I then tried to diffuse the Theory of Three Dimensions by other means, and of the result.