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When translating the Persian poet Hushang Ebtehaj—known as Sayeh, and celebrated as the modern Hafez—into English, my translator partner, the poet Chad Sweeney, and I sometimes worked through several pages of notes—usually from me explaining cultural and historical context to him—to translate a single line of poetry. This happened especially in the first phase of collaboration, but the challenge persisted: each new poem brought references that required building shared understanding before the words in each poem could cross into English with their meaning intact. A line might reference centuries of Persian literary tradition, deploy metaphors that carry completely different weight…

My vacuum stopped working. I called support and suggested the charger might be the issue. The technician insisted it was the motor – the expensive motor – and attempted to redirect me toward purchasing a refurbished vacuum instead. I bought the motor. During installation, another part broke. I ordered the replacement from Amazon. After reassembling everything, the vacuum exhibited the same problem. Second call: A different agent conducted video troubleshooting and immediately confirmed it was the charger. Exactly what I’d suggested from the start. I purchased the charger she recommended. She told me delivery would take seven business days, and…