Paint Dreams

Sept 24, 2014–I remember the year my dad took a painting class. It changed the way I looked at grownups. This happened around my fourth-grade year. My dad would have been in his early 40s then… a very old person in my worldview. At dinner one evening, he...

Little Free Library

Nov 20, 2013–Little Free Library is one of those ideas you wish you had thought of. The concept is simple: You set out a cute box full of books, and invite anyone to stop by and “take a book, return a book.” The execution, however, has turned into a national...

First Lines

Sept 12, 2012–This sentence is supposed to make you want to read the rest of this column. I am fascinated with the power of first lines. Their importance is under appreciated. One brief string of words has the burden of drawing the attention of potential readers from...