Katharine's Writer's Block

Given how books are available virtually everywhere and in every way, easy access to them is likely taken for granted in most democratic, developed countries. Many of us probably aren’t far from a library, bookstore, or Free Little Library setup--perhaps several are nearby the places we frequent. Barring that, many retail establishments from drug stores to dollar stores provide at least a small section of reading material. On a less formal level, all quality of books turn up i

I find it difficult to think of March twenty-third as an ok day...for one thing it's my birthday! But even before me, plenty of significant matters occurred on this day too, like Patrick Henry claiming, “Give me liberty or give me death!” in 1775, shortly before the thirteen colonies’ war with Great Britain. Also, on this day in 1806, Lewis and Clark began their return to Missouri after their two-year exploration of the Louisiana Purchase and the Pacific Northwest. The first

Many of us may have grown up with doses of edutainment, or media that blends amusement and learning. It has adopted various formats that have overlapped throughout the years, but for the most part, current generations find it through social media, digital media, and apps while millennials got a lot of it through video games and computer games. Yet, it was the Gen Xers’ television programming that gave the trend most of its initial steam. They had some cool shows! In fact, sev

In the United States, late May through August is embraced as the prime time for leisure tourism, or summer vacation in simpler terms. Throughout this timeframe, most schools complete regular instruction, summer officially starts, and many worthwhile holidays take place. So families often undertake some kind of getaway from their daily grind for a little bit of fun, celebration, and refreshment. Depending on plans and preferences, summer vacation also takes and blends a handf

Millennials, like me, grew up with some unique cultural experiences. While we indulged in the earliest, if not the best, years of cartoons, video games, internet, and music, we also read books to earn our own pizzas. Millennials, like me, remember this as the Pizza Hut Book It Program (or just the Book It Program). The premise of the Book It Program was simple (and free): reading goals are set between October and March for students between preschool and sixth grade. Goals can

Poetry is a blend of art and written or spoken word. It’s often evocative; centered on strong images, memories, or feelings. In the Netflix series Bridgerton, Benedict Bridgerton eloquently describes it as: "The art of revealing precious truth with words..." More still, poetry is a form that has stood the test of time. Connected to oral tradition, history, stories, and information were preserved with poetry before literacy was refined. Some of the earliest poems known in his

The majority of my lessons focus on the art of writing. The written medium has so much to unpack and follow. However, today’s lesson...