There are literally hundreds of blogs and sites out there instructing aspiring authors on how to craft a well-received author’s bio, so the information here may not be new to you. Coming from a place of unemployment, where I spend a margin of my “spare time” (if there really is…

Get Kids Reading There’s no arguing that reading is good for us. Reading can transport us to faraway places, help us understand complex social hierarchies, and give us cues on how to act appropriately when faced with unfamiliar situations. …

Molly slowly opened her large green eyes and blinked at the glowing red numbers on the bedside clock. 1:30 a.m. silently cut through the dark. Perfect. The meeting started in half an hour. That gave her more than enough time to grab a quick snack and check on the house…

Visual literacy may be something that many of us have never heard of before. It’s the piecing together a story from images and data in graphic form. Pictures books help develop a child’s visual literacy skills by offering a story that one tells themselves by examining what’s drawn on the…

For some, creativity is as natural as breathing — Their mug of creative juices sloshes over with great ideas. This group of people always seem able to come up with fresh ways of expressing themselves, and they finish projects like they’re on an assembly line. Then there’s the rest of…

The Stigma of Mental Illness The stigma shrouding mental illness is a prevailing one. This stigma breeds distrust of mental health professionals, reducing them to the term “shrink.” People in therapy are seen as weak. People who can’t handle their emotions. This stigma is especially detrimental for men and people of color. In the 1980s…

There’s an interesting phenomenon taking place in Portland, and at its center is a book penned in 1895 by E.G. White. Not be to be confused with E.B. White, the creator of a loquacious spider and splendid pig. E.G. White was a co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. So you…

While not related to the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, this organized crime team derived its moniker from the comedy film series. Composed of Siberian, Montenegrin, and Yugoslavian ex-military left over from the Bosnian War, The Pink Panthers have around 200 to 300 active members with elite skills. Responsible for some of…

Books are great. Most of us can agree on that. Sometimes, a movie adaptation is so fun or engaging that we are inspired to read the original work. Most of the time, the source material is undeniably better than the adaptation. However, on some rare occasions, we are utterly disappointed…