I realize I’m often behind on the news, and this story is a couple of weeks old, but singer CeeLo Green’s offensive comments about rape recently came to my attention. Green’s song “Forget You” (also known by another name) happens to be one of my favorites. It’s a silly, catchy, just-for-fun song, and every time...
Tag: art
The Arts or Football – You Decide
I was reading a newspaper article the other day hyping a slew of new books celebrating or criticizing our nation’s obsession with football. One quote from a former player caught my attention. He stated that football “teaches one thing that kids can’t get anywhere else . . . how to get knocked down and get...
Does the Whole World Think Like You?
We’ve had an unusually cool and rainy summer in Colorado. The other day, my friend was complaining about the weather, fully expecting me to agree with her, as I’m sure most people have. “Oh, I’ve loved this summer,” I said. “I hate being hot, plus I’ve hardly had to water.” She stared at me in...
Back to School Means Back to Work
It’s that time of year again. You can almost smell the freshly sharpened pencils, the eraser shavings, and the Elmer’s glue. Even for those of us who graduated eons ago, the end of summer still feels like back to school. Every autumn, most of the artists I know recommit to their work. All summer you...
Can One Encounter with Art Change a Life?
When I was twelve, my mother took my brother and me to see a performance of Jesus Christ Superstar. She’d escorted us to children’s theater productions before, but this was my first time seeing a truly “grown-up” play, and I was utterly transformed. I was a church-going kid, but until that night, I had never...
The Walls are Coming Down
In 1989, I sat in front of my television and watched in awe as the Berlin Wall “came down.” I had visited the Wall two years before during my college journey across Europe and found it to be such an oppressive site. When it tumbled, it felt as if the whole world was being reborn,...
Art Giveaways for Newsletters Video – Great Ideas Series
I carry business cards for my favorite service providers in my purse. That way if I’m singing the praises of a good plumber or massage therapist or book editor, I can send you away with contact information rather than expecting you to remember the name. I get nothing for this. I just like connecting good...
Must Artists Always Be At Work?
“I wish I could read your travel journals,” a friend once told me. “I bet they’re amazing.” I changed the subject. Fast. She’d be so disappointed with my journals. They are filled with clichéd lines like, “the view was breathtaking” or “the mountains were beautiful.” I’m a hard-core traveler. I like to see and do...
I’m Sorry, But I’m Not Embarrassed
In my industry, there’s been a lot of talk about Ruth Graham’s article in Slate suggesting that adults should be embarrassed to read young adult titles. Never mind the slights to YA authors, let’s look at what else she says: She argues that adults should challenge themselves with a higher form of literature and leave...
What To Do When Your Life is Filled with Stupid People
My daughter called Tuesday night in a panic. She is competing this week at a national speech and debate tournament and had encountered a judge whose behavior was shockingly unprofessional. He would watch thirty seconds of a performance, scrawl a nasty note like, “I hate it,” on his notepad, and then play on his phone...