I'm delighted to tell you about a five-part online course that I'll be teaching this winter on the Pulitzer Prize winning poet Galway Canal.

The course is called That Poetry by Which I Lived.

With the help of Canel's former students, admirers, and friends such as the poet Sharon Olds, Toye

Derekot, Robert Haas, and Edwood Hersh.

We will move through the life, work, and influence of this extraordinary American poet.

I hope you'll join us online this winter. You can learn more at

community of writers.org. I'm Major Jackson and this is the slowdown.

And this is the slowdown.

When I realized I repaired my old car at a price that was well above its fair market value, I decided to buy a new vehicle.

I trekked it to a Subaru dealership.

A cheerful car salesman greeted me. We took a forester for a test ride. On the drive, we talked

NFL football, Vermont's covered bridges, and winter driving, some of my favorite topics.

I felt like I was purchasing a new car and gaining a new friend.

I settled on the car which screamed major.

He ran my credit.

I sat at his desk scrolling my phone for ages. The application approval took nearly an hour.

Yet he only came off a small amount

from the suggested retail price.

I countered.

He said, what became the dreaded words of the day?

Let me check with my manager. It was nearing lunch when he came back and

countered with some extras. I gave another price. He said, let me check with my manager. An hour later, I walked by the manager's

...