A Hail Mary for Humanism?

If there is a patron saint of this newsletter (not that there should be such a ridiculous thing) it would have to be Michel de Montaigne. It is his estate that adorns the landing page, and his spirit that inspires these digressive essays—indeed we owe the very word itself to him. Its true meaning can still be seen in those rare instances where people employ it in its original sense—verb (tr.): to try, attempt.