“A post-graduate student equipped with honors and diplomas went to Agassiz*** to receive the final and finishing touches. The great man offered him a small fish and asked him to describe it.”

“Post-graduate student: That’s only a sunfish.”

“Agassiz: I know that. Write a description of it.”

“After a few minutes, the student returned with the description of the Ichthus Heliodiplodokus or whatever term is used to conceal the common sunfish from vulgar knowledge…”

“Agassiz again told the student to describe the fish.”

“The student produced a four-page essay. Agassiz then told him to look at the fish. At the end of three weeks, the fish was in an advanced state of decomposition, but the student knew something about it.” (1)

*** Louis Agassiz was a Swiss-born biologist known for observational data gathering and analysis.

(1) Ezra Pound, ABC of Reading, New Directions Paperback edition, 1960, page 11.

_____ Curated by Dennis Mellersh