You can’t tell by looking at me that I have a master’s degree in art history. I concentrated in museum studies when I got my Master of Library and Information Science; I didn’t care about the Dewey Decimal or MARC. I wrote a sixty page thesis titled Capturing Otherness on Canvas: Sixteenth through Seventeenth Century European … More You Can’t Tell by Looking at Me
Defining Art has baffled philosophers, scholars, artists, politicians, and the public since the first red-ocher bead. An idea, a tangible object, a feeling: Art is as complex and mysterious as Love. Art has imbued me with critical skills, empathy, and passion. Art is part of my identity. … More Art Is
If you work in the service industry, it’s likely that you’ve come across various archetypes in the people you serve. While the average visitor is considerate and polite, or simply doesn’t require comment, occasionally, a member of The Public will send you into murmured fits of cursing, make your skin crawl, or induce fits of hysterical laughter. … More The Public
Baby Boomers, Gen-X, Millennials – we’ve all felt the sting of being lumped into an increasingly bleak portrait of our generation, without consent. Guided by hubris, we’ll click on a link with our respective label to see what we can learn about ourselves. We know these labels are oversimplified generalizations, but that doesn’t stop us from drawing … More My Life as a Thinkpiece
Every fall Hogwarts students around the world prepare for their return to the school of witchcraft and wizardry. When the leaves turn, I get nostalgic for the days when my next-door neighbor and I would fly around on our broomsticks in the backyard, curse Snape for his outrageous potions homework, and giggle about having crushes … More A Love Letter to Harry Potter
White, red and black sand beaches, luxury resorts, fantasy swimming pools, world-class snorkeling, fine dining: Hawaii’s tourists can have it all. After spending thirteen days on the Hawaiian island of Maui, I’ve come away with a distinctly unexpected reaction to the place: fear. Not fear in the sense you might fear vampires or a robber in … More Bring your Adventure Shoes
It’s a busy morning at the coffee shop. Baristas parade past, delivering food to patrons. One has tattoos up and down his legs and arms, maroon shorts that hit mid-thigh and a grey v-neck t-shirt complementing a full beard, and round-turtle shell glasses. A woman with big gold-hooped earrings sits hunched over notes, scribbling. She’s wearing … More Notes from a Fashion Museum
I’m headed to Cleveland on the eve of the Republican National Convention, which months ago I swore to avoid at all costs. Hosting the most volatile convention with the worst candidates since the 1960s is a very Cleveland thing to happen to Cleveland. Ohioans proved last month that we can gather in hoards of millions without … More Republicans are People Too
My favorite pose in yoga is shavasana, also called, “corpse pose.” At the end of a yoga practice, you lay on your back, legs apart, arms wide, palms skyward and breathe with a normal rhythm. It’s a nap. Shavasana is my favorite pose because I’m really good at it but also because it is the best reward after … More You Do You
Ohio gets a bad wrap as far as states are concerned because we have Winter and some of our cities are less than glamorous. Never-mind the low cost of living, the numerous Huff-Po lists where three of our biggest cities rank as, “best places to get a city living experience without the city price-tag,” and … More Soybeans & Craft Beer
