Welcome to 111 Words, by Andrew Shields

The three parts of the first instrumental break in The Grateful Dead’s performance of “Uncle John’s Band” on 26 December 1979

The acknowledgments in the preface to Thomas Hardy’s “Poems of the Past and the Present” (1901)

The tension between short-term and long-term political goals in “Avatar: The Last Airbender"

Narcissistic authoritarianism in “Avatar: The Last Airbender"

Cities mentioned in The Grateful Dead song “Truckin’” and their roles in the history of music

The fascinating contrast between Christoph Grab’s Shape & Form Ensemble and Kathrine Windfeld’s Sextet at the Bird’s Eye in Basel this week (17-19 February 2026)