Writer Aminatta Forna is often asked if she was traumatized by personal tragedy and national turmoil. To Forna, the ability to shape your own narrative, rather than having others shape it for you, is ultimately what matters most; being told…
What’s the secret to writing novels? Or baking a perfect cake? Or even being a good friend? Author Ann Patchett says it’s all about the ability to stay focused and stop multitasking. Patchett gives her humble opinion on stretching your…
What does it do to black girls and women to have their intelligence and abilities routinely questioned? A study from Johns Hopkins found that white teachers set lower academic expectations for their black students than black teachers do. Acclaimed writer…
More than 34 million American children have had at least one adverse childhood experience like abuse or neglect. We need every medical professional in this country to be equipped with the right tools for universal screening.
When a child's flight-or-fight response is activated too often, from abuse, neglect or parental addiction, it can change the structure of a developing brain. It's called toxic stress, and pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris believes every medical professional in the country…
There will be some advantages to non-beingness, says Sheila Nevins: namely, avoiding the family squabbles after her death. The author and former president of HBO Documentary Films offers her humble opinion on preparing for the end of life, and finding…
What does belonging mean to Akhil Sharma, an American who immigrated from India? Offering help to another opened him up to the realization that the world is greater than himself. Sharma, an award-winning novelist, professor at Rutgers University and New…
Early school start times make kids feel jetlagged every day, says behavioral and social scientist Wendy Troxel. She shares her humble opinion on why it’s time to change kids’ morning routines.
Whether it’s simply to enliven our day or help us bear a heartache, great poetry can add balance and beauty to our over-connected and over-tweeted lives. Stephen Kloepfer offers his humble opinion on ow poetry elevates our lives.
Literature can be daunting for some young people, so how can we create a culture of avid readers? Poetry can be a non-threatening alternative introduction for fledgling bibliophiles, giving them more “white space” on a page without losing narrative elements.
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