April 2022 Leisure Learning

April 2022 Leisure Learning

April 2022 Leisure Learning Spring greetings, leisure learners, and word nerds! I hope this April has found you immersed in the power of individual words, a la National Poetry Month. Now, what happens when you put a whole bunch of words together, complete with punctuation? Hopefully, a short story. Pair it with the month we… Read more »

Protesting through Poetry: Embrace Your Inner Poet-Activist!

Protesting through Poetry: Embrace Your Inner Poet-Activist!

I’ve been watching the war on the Ukrainian people unfold with equal parts horror and amazement. This is history unfolding before our very eyes. You guys, this is David and Goliath; it’s the Spartans and the Persians. The people of Ukraine, and President Zelinskyy in particular, have inspired millions with their refusal to back down… Read more »

The Book Nook: Ode to Nora Ephron

The Book Nook: Ode to Nora Ephron

Recently, I needed a break from the heaviness of the world, so I began revisiting the work of Nora Ephron. She is known for such hits as Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, and You’ve Got Mail. And I love all of those movies. But I love them because of how she plays. As… Read more »

Not Just Dudes in Tights: Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel

Not Just Dudes in Tights: Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel

In my first column of this series, I wrote about how I don’t enjoy the art style of most mainstream comics. I find it overly complicated and with a fundamental lack of understanding about human anatomy, and I can’t concentrate on the storyline because male artists don’t understand how bras work. But before I throw… Read more »

March 2022 Leisure Learning

March 2022 Leisure Learning

Happy Sunday, leisure learners! Can you believe that it’s almost reading outside time?! (It’s like swimsuit season, but for word nerds.) As you probably know, we are heading into National Poetry Month for April. The selections below are in the spirit of throwing grammar temporarily aside, focusing on individual words and even individual letters.  In… Read more »

The Book Nook: 1984 by George Orwell

The Book Nook: 1984 by George Orwell

This month I surprised myself. I was originally planning on rereading a book for this column, then switched to rereading a different book, then finally settled on buying and reading Orwell’s 1984 in graphic novel format. I would say I’m a bit surprised that I haven’t read 1984 before now, but I was a bit… Read more »