With a nod to my writing hero Nora Ephron, I begin this post with the topic of titles and their value in propelling the content of a written piece. Nora knows this well, and her titles are always so catchy. I cite the titles of a few of her books as examples:
Read MoreStraight up I’ll admit that I don’t understand all the history of the conflict in Israel and Palestine. And while reading Seven Good Years by Etgar Keret, my ignorance of the region, the people and their past came into vivid focus. So, between reading the stories woven in, I made many internet searches to try to
Read MoreThink for a moment of a memorable meal. Who was there? What was served? And, most importantly, why is it so memorable? I bet you can come up with a story or two.
This was the premise for my longtime passion project: the podcast #thedeliciousstory.
Read MoreRadium Girls is a gripping chronicle of corporate greed and the young women, facing nearly impossible odds, who fight against it. The story begins in 1901 in Paris when we learn of the discovery of radium by Marie and Pierre Curie—a precious luminescent substance they’ve been studying. Fast forward 17 years to Newark, New Jersey, and the Radium Luminous Materials Corporation, where we meet the young women, ranging in ages from 15 to their late 20s. In the prime of their lives, they are
Read MoreEventually we all experience it, a slap-in-the face reminder about getting older. My first was 10 years ago when my car was stuck in the snow – nothing too deep, and I was rocking out of it. But a car pulled up abruptly and a young man jumped out: “sit tight sir, I’ll push you out!” Sir?
Read MoreIn this piece and others of the #channelinghistoryheros series, we strive to encourage you with your connection to the past. We are each part of the greater human story.
That means accepting our shared capacity to inflict pain and do insidious things. However, there is a flip side, too. Humans have the ability to create things, to seek knowledge, and to endeavor for worthy
Read MoreWithout a doubt, I would recommend One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson. It’s a good read I can just about guarantee you’ll enjoy. This Bryson book was our latest #reallivesbookclub selection, which I considered a hit. Bryson, whom I’ve read before (in books such as Thunderbolt Kid, Notes From A Small
Read MoreMonths ago the #reallivesbookclub read “Out Of The Darkness” by Eric A. Shelman and Stephen Lazoritz, M.D. which details the story of a child named Mary Ellen Wilson who was the victim of abuse during the Mid-1800s in the United States. Her situation—along with the commitment of Etta Angell Wheeler to step in and save her—eventually led to the creation of the Child Protection Movement.
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Sherry and I were talking about buying another car, and whether we can make it with one car these days. Maybe we’ll replace our older car in a few years, maybe not. Then we realized: that purchase could possibly be the last car we buy for our working careers. Time hurries on.
Read MorePoetry requires time, space, and effort. And, for me (and maybe for you, too), poetry is an elusive construct. Yet I want to understand the components and the structure! As an art form, poetry positively
Read MoreThere is power and influence in good storytelling. Learn the steps with this handy infographic by Content In Motion.
Read MoreAt age 6, I was given a book titled “A Book About You,” and inside were illustrations and questions designed to prompt my answers. How many windows are in your house? How many rooms? How many books? Draw a portrait of yourself.
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Art is for the artistically imbued…and for children. I stood by this limited belief about art for most of my life, mostly because of an experience with drawing I had in college which, for decades, turned me off of drawing and distorted my view of making art of any kind.
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If you sit a lot for work, and you’ve been sitting even more these days of quarantine, then this post is for you. Here I interview Jenene Armstrong of Healthfit Coaching LLC to get her expert advice. Jenene shares 5 basic stretches you can do anytime to give your body a
Read MoreYou’ve heard about the benefits of journaling and you like the idea, but you’ve not consistently put pen to paper. In fact, if you’re being honest, you’ve even started a journal—or several—and have the stack of them to prove it, but there are many blank pages and you never kept the habit.
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You know that moment when you experience that wave of relief? For example, when you misplace your phone or wallet, and then all of the sudden it appears. This week, we dive into that sense of calm but on a bigger scale. This is the kind of clarity you feel once you are fully informed and have a plan around something that, previously, was causing you strife.
Read MoreOur latest #reallivesbookclub selection, Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee,” reveals the stories of a place and of people in three distinct parts. As the reader settles in, they become familiar to the small town of Alexander City, Alabama, as well as some of its history and the climate of the community in the 1970s when a series of murders took place.
Read MoreRecently, I interviewed photographer Julia Mae Hunt who shared some insights as to what to consider when taking photos with a story in mind. Julia explained that it’s important to identify the story you want to tell before you hold up the camera to take the picture, and then consider how you’ll answer the
Read MoreContained and controllable projects can give us a boost no matter the situation and seem especially handy right now as we wait out things at home. Solving small tasks can give you a sense of well-being that enhance the day-to-day of your life story.
Read MoreIn the fall of 1948, recent newlyweds Julia and Paul Child disembarked on the dock in Le Havre, France. It was there that Julia discovered her purpose, which led her to become America’s iconic voice for French Cooking. The book My Life in France by Julia Child and her nephew Alex Prud’homme is a beautifully executed memoir. You’ll almost hear Julia’s voice detailing her days in France as she cultivated her zeal for French
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