Word of the Month – Colloquial
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August 18, 2020

Colloquial – adjective Characteristic of or appropriate to ordinary or familiar conversation rather than formal speech or writing; informal (Dictionary.com) Using conversational style (Merriam-Webster) (Of words and expressions) Informal and more suitable for use in speech than in writing (Cambridge) “The noun colloquy was first used in English to refer to a conversation or dialogue, and when the adjective colloquial was formed from colloquy it… [Read More]

Building a Better Brand – a Q and A with Margot Bloomstein
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August 11, 2020

For nearly 20 years, Margot Bloomstein has shaped the content strategy industry. She’s the author of Content Strategy at Work: Real-World Stories to Strengthen Every Interactive Project (Morgan Kaufmann, 2012) and the principal of Appropriate, Inc., a brand and content strategy consultancy based in Boston. Bloomstein developed the message architecture-driven approach to content strategy now popular with many practitioners. Recognized in 2015 as one of Boston’s… [Read More]

Caught Between Worlds by Therese Tappouni
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August 4, 2020

“Caught Between Worlds is a fantastic story set in Iraq in 1980 about a kidnapping—except instead of a kid, it’s his father who is taken hostage when war breaks out with Iran. Tom O’Hara’s father is taken by armed militants shortly after they move to Baghdad. Grieving the loss of his mother a year ago, Tom relies on his memories of her, an anthropology professor,… [Read More]

Word of the Month – Denouement
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July 28, 2020

Denouement – noun The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work (Merriam-Webster) The outcome of a complex sequence of events (Merriam-Webster) The end of a story, in which everything is explained, or the end result of a situation (Cambridge) “The denouement is the final outcome of the story, generally occurring after the climax of the plot. Often it’s where all the… [Read More]

Racism and the Failures of the U.S. Constitution
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June 9, 2020

In a recent article published by The Good Men Project, David Madden decodes the military jargon “battle space” as the killing fields and suggests the military rhetoric provides a pretext for delaying or cancelling the November election.  “It is not enough that the Trump government bungled the pandemic and directly caused the deaths of over a hundred thousand Americans. It is not enough that the… [Read More]

Releasing a Book During a Pandemic – an Interview with Chelsea Hanson
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May 5, 2020

After the unexpected loss of a loved one, it is difficult to know where to turn for help and what to do next, and healing can feel like something out of reach. The Sudden Loss Survival Guide: Seven Essential Practices for Healing Grief by Chelsea Hanson provides an indispensable road map to aid those who’ve experienced a life-changing loss. While you cannot control losing a… [Read More]

Welcome to the Future – Doing Time by Christopher Kunz
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April 7, 2020

Looking for something new to read? Pick up Doing Time, a timely, thought-provoking tale by Wisconsin author Christopher Kunz. Sentenced to the future by the Wisconsin Experimental Prison, identity thief Mike Newhouse is dropped into Eau Claire in 2151, a city transformed by past plagues into a sustainable, zero-growth, and highly connected society. Spied on by the men who launched his 131-year leap, Mike unwittingly… [Read More]

Webtoon – Innovation in the World of Comics
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March 24, 2020

You may think of comics as panels in a newspaper or as physical serialized issues featuring superheroes, but today, a new trend has taken hold in the form of Webtoons. While the concept of online comics is not a new thing, one comic app in particular is transforming the way readers consume this content. Launched in South Korea in 2004, LINE Webtoon features full-color comics… [Read More]

Finding Balance – Q and A with Jean Raffa
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March 17, 2020

A former television producer and college professor, Dr. Jean Raffa changed directions in midlife to discover and write about her passions. Informed by over 30 years of psychological and spiritual study, her books and teachings guide others to growth and self-empowerment. To be released in October 2020, her newest book, The Soul’s Twins, is about reconciling differences between masculine and feminine, overcoming oppositional conflicts, and… [Read More]

From Book to Script to Film – What I’ve Learned by Working with a Professional Movie Director
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March 10, 2020

By Ann Marie Ackermann When the director pointed out a plot hole in my movie script, I winced. We were walking through the old section of a German town, scouting possible shooting locations, and she was trying to imagine the film, scene for scene. “If you don’t put the murderer and victim together right away,” she said, “the audience won’t figure out their connection. We… [Read More]