In contrast to Hailey, whose white fragility worsens throughout the book, Starr’s boyfriend, Chris, is provides a dynamic look at the “white ally.” He comes from a wealthy family, goes to a private school, but he’s enamored with black culture and dates one of the […]

This post will examine Hailey, one of Starr’s friends who displays racially problematic behavior throughout the book and demonstrates white fragility clearly. In one moment in the story, the teenagers observe a basketball game and joke about their “food babies” after a hefty lunch of […]

Walking selfie!  This summer, I made a commitment to walking 3-4 miles a day for fitness. I live in a house with four other people who all do Crossfit, but that’s not really my speed. (It’s not only hard as hell, but it’s also a […]

This first draft manuscript I’m working on right now has me thinking a lot about perspective, when to shift perspective, and whose perspective matters most in any given moment. I’ve got a central protagonist, but it’s also a bit of an ensemble cast with multiple […]

The first time I read Patrick Rothfuss’s masterful epic fantasy The Name of the Wind, it took my breath away. My friend Daniel recommended it with the highest sort of insistence that I absolutely must read it. It clocks in at over seven hundred pages–a […]

A few grad school friends and I continue our passion for children’s literature by having a monthly book club. We read everything from picture books and early readers through young adult fiction–generally focusing popular titles that have been published in the last few years. One […]

When I learned that Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman were teaming up to bring a crafting competition show to NBC, I knew I’d have to watch it. I mean, Parks and Rec is one of my favorite shows of all time, and I love DIY […]

A central thesis by linguist Ferdinand de Saussure explains that the connection between a sign (like a word) and the real-world thing it represents is arbitrary. In the words of Shakespeare, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Few people would argue […]

Hello and welcome! This blog will be about many things – from traveling the world to a warm bowl of mac’n’cheese on the couch, in yoga pants, watching Netflix. We are writers, teachers, foodies…   But the core of this blog is truly the friendship […]

So here we are, back in Jordan! What began as a business connection with the princess of Jordan blossomed into a friendship and – blow my mind, omg – we ended up invited to a royal wedding! We arrived in capital city Amman at 5am, […]