Resources for Back-to-School

A new school year means a new grade, new teachers, and new goals. It might even mean a new school! These resources for parents and caregivers of children with special … Continued


A Basic Gal’s Guide to Jane Austen: Emma

This is the first — and only — Austen novel where the main character is the title of the book. So straight out of the gate you know who will dominate this story. But in Emma, Austen creates a character who is totally unique from the other Austen leading ladies. In a time when women were encouraged to marry, Emma Woodhouse was having none of it.



All Eyez On Me: The Movie and the Man

Last month, the Tupac biopic, All Eyez On Me, finally hit theaters. It was released on what would’ve been the rapper’s 46th birthday, June 16th. There has been a lot of hype and curiosity surrounding this movie. Naturally, because Tupac was such a three dimensional person and often regarded as the greatest rapper of all time, so the movie should reflect that.


Whiskey, Wilde and the Western World: An Introduction to Fenton Johnson

In this 2017 collection, which brings together essays originally seen in Harper’s, NPR, The New York Times and elsewhere, Fenton Johnson provides the reader with a fascinating timeline in the life of an activist. This timeline is particularly gripping because it spans many decades and multiple subjects, including faith, sexuality and family life. Johnson has spent more than thirty years as an outspoken writer and activist for this population, and Everywhere Home weaves us a beautifully-written tale of advocacy and passion.


Trying Something New…

I’m currently reading Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal, a story about a young Indian-English woman who takes a job teaching a writing class to a group … Continued


Sampling the Rich History of Poetry: Part 1

People have been composing poems for thousands of years. As with fiction, the variety is huge, and if you don’t know much about it, it can be intimidating. Where do you start if you want to dip your toe in the poetry pool? I’ve always enjoyed a good poem, but my interest has increased in the last few years. So I thought it would be fun to do a series of posts highlighting some of my favorites.



A New Story From Middle-Earth

The tale of Beren and Luthien is part of the legends and history that make up J.R.R Tolkien’s beautiful world Middle-Earth. Tolkien’s son, Christopher, has removed the story of the lovers from the original work and, along with his understanding of his father’ work and his own work he did editing The Silmarillion, has reconstructed the tale of the two lovers.


Museum Musings

In 1967, Elaine Lobl Konigsburg published her classic children’s book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and introduced readers to Claudia and Jamie Kinkaid, siblings who decide … Continued