I am fortunate to have many creative friends. I have friends who make jewelry, write music, invent recipes, design innovative research projects, and a host of other creative things. Some of my friends write children’s books. Today I’m celebrating the release of my friend Mylisa Larsen’s second book, If I Were a Kangaroo. Even if … Continue reading
Have you ever wondered what your ideal world might look like? At a recent trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts I had a chance to glimpse into a few medieval artists’ fantasies, as they portrayed the Land of Cockaigne. According to Merriam-Webster, “The term “Cockaigne” comes from the Middle French phrase pais de cocaigne, … Continue reading
Sometimes when I walk through a bookstore, a book just calls out to me. It isn’t what I was looking for. More often than not, it isn’t something I need. But it calls, none-the-less. That is what happened with Kwame Alexander’s Animal Ark. Theoretically, Animal Ark is a children’s book. It certainly is appealing to … Continue reading
Recently, thanks to a kind friend’s invitation, I had the chance to sing in “The Big Sing,” a one-weekend-a-year chorus of over 100 singers, gathered to sing songs associated with social justice. The Sing was glorious fun, and I was reminded yet again of the power of music to express ideas more powerfully than words … Continue reading
Who knew that The Simpsons animated TV show was full of mathematical moments? Read how British science writer Simon Singh learned that his impression of mathematically gags within the show was completely on target. This led to Singh’s book, The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets. If you’d like an introduction to Simpson’s mathematics and don’t … Continue reading
I was excited to receive the most recent edition of The Henry Ford Magazine, published by the newly renamed Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, because bold letters the cover declared it to be “The Math Issue.” Like many of you, I suspect, I have a harder time generating flexible and creative thinking ideas around … Continue reading
As a girl, I was both amused and inspired by Abigail Adams’ 1776 letter to her husband John, in which she urged him and other members of the Continental Congress to “remember the ladies” when considering the laws for the newly formed country. Today I admire her even more, and find it fitting that in … Continue reading
I readily admit I’m not a big hip hop fan—probably because I’m of the generation that watched in awe as the Beatles sang on our black and white TVs. Yes, older than dirt. And yet I can’t get enough of the score of Hamilton. The lyrics are brilliant, the beat enticing, and the characters of … Continue reading
These are stressful times. At least around me, teachers report students levels of anxiety and conflict that seem to mirror those of adults they see on the news. Perhaps that is happening in your area as well. So, what do we do? One thought I had this week was that when things around me feel … Continue reading
Every significant creative project comes with struggles—at least mine certainly do. I’m in the midst of a large mosaic project, or, to be more accurate, I’m stalled. I only have one evening a week in the mosaic studio, and those have been rare lately. Other life circumstances have made even one day a week difficult … Continue reading
