A LOOK BACK AT THE YEAR 2011.

IT IS TRADITIONAL for publications such as this one to print a retrospective at the end of the year, as though by doing so we could somehow exorcise the demons of the old year and leave our tabula completely rasa for the new.

In JANUARY, our Practical Standard Letter-Writer demonstrated to the text-happy young people of today how they might offer their services in the neighborhood after an unexpected snowfall.

In FEBRUARY, the story of The Free Man entertained the youth of the English-speaking world, while at the same time slipping some wholesome disillusionment and cynicism under the door.

In MARCH, we learned about Reading Tea Leaves. For our canine readers, we also presented A Trivia Quiz for Your Dog.

In APRIL, answering the prayers of many in the swollen ranks of the unemployed, we published a number of suggested Answers to Common Job-Interview Questions. For the benefit of readers outside the United States, we also explained a few common Americanisms.

In MAY, we presented a list of Things to Do While Waiting for the Rapture. That the Rapture did not prove as inclusive as some might have liked can therefore probably be laid to Dr. Boli’s account.

In JUNE, the dear little ones among our readers were entertained, or not, with the story of Why the Osprey Has No Xylophone.

In JULY, the doubtable and redoubtable Admiral Hornswoggle brought us the thrilling tale of his adventure Becalmed in the Doldrums.

In AUGUST, we learned to make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. We were also favored with a look one hundred years into the future at The Astonishing World of Tomorrow.

In SEPTEMBER, our look at The Ninja on Japanese Art was unusually well received. Young readers, meanwhile, were treated to a tale from The Virtuous Child’s Story-Book.

In OCTOBER, lovers of the visual arts once again were moved by our tribute to The Magnificent Photography of Ansel Adams.

In NOVEMBER, we learned how to avoid the pointless drudgery of measuring everything we eat with Eyeball Portion Sizes. November also saw the publication of Dr. Boli’s Encyclopedia of Misinformation, bringing all the world’s misinformation between the covers of one portable volume for the first time in history.

In DECEMBER, we learned the awful secret of Smooth Jazz. And finally, also in December, we took A Look Back at the Year 2011, but we may be permitted to doubt whether it did us much good.