Stories are more than just characters and plot. They’re a collaboration between author, reader, and culture, sometimes contradictory and always symbolic. To understand them, you can’t just look at the surface—you need to dig through every layer.... Read More

Books aren’t just meant to entertain us. They help us see from new perspectives. So take a second to think. Then read on here. ... Read More

In this installment of our Power of Books Author Series, we talk with Edward Underhill about the importance of LGBTQIA representation, and joy as a form of resistance.... Read More

Snollygoster. The closer we get to elections, the more often you might be hearing this word. Can you guess what it means? Find out here... Read More

Good fences make good neighbors. It's a reminder that we should "tend to our own business," right? Robert Frost's poem Mending Wall turns that on its head. What does that mean? ... Read More

There’s a lot of debate about this word’s etymology, so if anyone tries to spin you a yarn about its “true” origin, you’ll know they’re pushing pure poppycock! Can you guess what it means? ... Read More

Poetry is arguably the most subtle and evocative part of language. However, the same elements that lend it power sometimes make interpreting it seem overwhelming. But with the right tools, we can find a path to deeper meanings.... Read More

The Road Not Taken is commonly cited as an ode to free will. But Robert Frost himself wasn’t so certain. So when two roads diverged in that yellow wood… did taking the one less traveled really make all the difference? ... Read More

April is National Poetry Month! A fundamental part of language, poetry predates writing itself. Every culture has its own take on the art, so what better way to celebrate humanity than by studying poetry? There are many ways to do so. Here’s our list:... Read More

Edith Wharton’s novel, The Age of Innocence, is the first Pulitzer Prize winner written by a woman. But that isn’t the only reason it matters. It’s a story about how we react to change… and who we hurt when we resist it. Take a closer look.... Read More

I n this edition we talk with Jamie Jo Hoang, author of My Mother the Mermaid Chaser. We touch on generational trauma. And, how... Read More.

C harity begins at home. We’ve all heard the expression. Usually in response to financial aid going to other nations. Or when we’re asked... Read More.