Damon Gilbert is a black police officer in one of the most violent cities in the country. He describes his experience on the force in Oakland, California, as well as how he’s dealt with the police as a private citizen. Gilbert offers his Brief but Spectacular take on what it means to be a cop in 2016.

Christian Robinson says he had a hard time reading as a child, and so he didn’t have a great relationship with books. But he could always find solace in drawing. Today, he has turned his childhood hobby into a career as an illustrator, using images to speak and “reflect the diverse world that we live in.” Christian Robinson offers his Brief But Spectacular take on illustration as communication.

You may not have heard of Daniel Handler, but you’ve probably heard of his pen name: Lemony Snicket. Handler, author of the children’s book series “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” says much of children's literature is about “enforced morality,” but he focuses on the bewildering nature of childhood. Handler gives his Brief but Spectacular take on putting his bewilderment into words.

Dr. Danielle Sheypuk is attempting to derail the stigma around sex and people with physical disabilities. Born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2, Sheypuk knows what it’s like to have a disability -- and a sex life. But she worries that popular culture tends to show only able-bodied individuals having sex in traditional ways. This is her Brief but Spectacular take on how “anything can be sexy.”