Banned Books Week 2021 starts today and lasts through October 2. Since 2014, I have participated in the Banned Books Week Virtual Readout (which, by the way, can be done anytime — not just during BBW). In 2020, I read from A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo (here’s the recording and my post). In 2019, I […]
The Restaurant Business 2021: Neutralizing Negativity
Mike Ferrara, owner of Cabo’s Island Grill and Bar in Tallahassee, Fla., says one of his primary jobs is “neutralizing negativity.” The past 18 months have served up a whole new twist on negativity, as the restaurant industry has been affected by the lockdowns and restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. I’ve heard some frightening […]
Get rescued or give up?
RESCUE I can’t believe I’m writing a story about squeeze margarine, but I’ve learned to write what I live so … My husband and I have different butter tastes. I use two: Spray butter and Squeeze butter. He uses a Land O Lakes something that’s in a tub. I am almost out of squeeze butter […]
The seeds of big stories lie in small details: August at SmartBrief
If you’ve ever been captivated by a small detail of a big story, you’re in good company with me. Here are the stories that caught my attention last month among the nonprofit sector newsletters I edit for SmartBrief. They don’t all revolve around a small detail, but each has something that made me think a […]
From “7 beads of sweat” to “Hamilton”
Igniting anything takes heat, oxygen, and fuel — the three components of the fire triangle. The idea of the fire triangle can apply to human motivation, too. When Jane Beckett took over the dance program at The McDonald College, a prestigious performing arts school in Australia, she saw talent from the beginning. She brought a personal history of dance […]
Our readers are our teachers
TEACH We may be coaxed by popular sentiment to think we should be fearless. Granted, it would probably be fun to be eternally pursuing adventure, but I have yet to experience a life devoid of fear, and I doubt anyone who is being truthful will be able to attest that they haven’t ever been scared. […]