A Month of Letters: InCoWriMo review

Anyone who follows me on here, or on Facebook and Instagram, knows that I have participated in the International Correspondence Writing Month during the month of February. What this entails is basically writing a letter each day during the month of February. That’s it: just write the letter. 

I decided that this year, I would participate partially because one of my New Year’s goals last year was to write more letters. I did it, but “more” was basically like, “Oh look, I wrote ten letters over the course of twelve months.” So, I decided that 29 letters in 29 days sounded like a good challenge. I wasn’t sure I would make it, but I thought I would try. Well, it turns out that I did it.

He might not be the hero Gotham needs, but he's the stamp I needed for this project! My post person probably thought I was crazy with the amount of letters I was mailing out. 

For the entire month of February, I sent out, on average, one letter every day. Sometimes I had to write five or six to make up for missing, but I got it done. Sometimes it was a struggle to think of what to say or who to write to, but over the course of the month I kind of figured it out. At the beginning, some of my cards or letters felt awkward or forced, but I think that by the end they just started to flow.

I have a few tips for people who are interested in participating in the future: 

First of all, the best thing I did was print out a calendar and write down the names of people I wanted to send letters to. Some were birthday cards, some were letters to dear friends, and some were letters to complete strangers that I found on the Pen Addict InCoWriMo list (there’s nothing like writing to other people who will appreciate your love for fountain pens).

Another great tip for finishing InCoWriMo is to promise yourself that the letter doesn’t have to be long. While I can always go on for pages when writing to certain friends (that would be you, Daniel Orazio), sometimes I have a hard time thinking of precisely what to say to family members or older friends who might not really care about what’s going on at UNT or how startlingly beautiful the sky is today. The point is to send a letter, not a novel.

Lastly, if you have trouble thinking of who to write to, check out the organization The World Needs More Love Letters. Each month, they send out a list of people going through a rough time who need to receive love letters. It’s kind of fun sending these strangers messages of hope—and frequently, it brings me peace because I can relate to part of their struggle and it helps to do something. Check it out!

Here are some of the letters I sent out to TWNMLL. 

All in all, I’m so glad that I participated in InCoWriMo. I’m trying to continue my letter writing, so if you want to be a pen pal, just let me know. If you receive a random letter or card in the mail from me, know it’s not me being weird. I just love writing letters and I think most people love receiving mail. It goes well together. 

What I Read and Wrote over Spring Break: A Couple Weeks in Review

Every week, I curate a list of the best links and articles to make you think and keep you informed. Enjoy!

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What I wrote this week:

• My Thoughts on Academia and a Plea for Help: In which I explain why we go to conferences and ask for some support. 

What I read this week:

Popery (Catholicism/Spirituality/Religion):

• Jesus was a Protester (Sojourners): I am honored to be associated with a group of womens religious that has members who have been in jail for protesting, who protest and are activists and stand up for the Gospel. I think that people who get upset about "protesters" haven't read enough about the great protester, Jesus. I love this article for pointing this out. 

• The Four Arguments for Affirming Same-Sex Marriages (Experimental Theology): Whether or not you agree with these arguments, I think they are really important for you to read. The arguments are strong and can help with dialogue between the two sides of this argument as well as leading to a more deepened understanding. 

Pens: 

• Left-handedness And The Greatest Insult Of All (The Pen Addict): Although this is an older post, I have only just read it. I love this reflection on left-handedness. Although I am a righty, my mom is a lefty and it makes me more aware of it. What hand do you write with?

• What Makes The Stationery Community Great (The Pen Addict): This is particularly meaningful for me this morning. Yesterday, I went to a pen meet up and was reminded, again, how much I love this community. Great people! This is a wonderful reflection on a community that welcomes anyone and everyone to its ranks. 

• How Handwriting Sharpens Your Mind (Huffington Post): I love this article. It's very informative about how writing by hand is different from other tasks and uses a different part of the brain. Check it out! 

Paperbacks (Books and Writing):

• A Slow Books Manifesto (The Atlantic): This. This is a great idea. 
• Writer’s Kit: 3 Things to Keep You Going When the “Shiny” Wears Off (NaNoWriMo Blog): Great tips not only for novel writers, but dissertation writers as well! 

Life in General:

• Your Great-Great Grandparents Didn’t Sleep Like You (And Here’s Why) (The Vintage News): This is kind of interesting. I wonder how this would work out for some of us who have problems getting enough sleep.

• How I Forgot Myself And Ended Up With A Miserable UTI (Ravishly): I'm not lying when I say that I know this feeling exactly. It's so easy to get seriously ill when you're paying attention to everyone else's needs. The exact first moment when I realized I needed to leave Indiana? Driving myself to the urgent care when I could barely stand. I was severely dehydrated and ended up with a UTI--all because I was trying to run welcome week without help.  

• While Atlanta was a Burnin' (Appalachian Ink): I adore how this woman writes. She writes with so much honesty that I can't help but love her, even if we don't see eye to eye on everything. But I have to say, I have never heard a more true statement than this about life in a mountain culture: "With no industry comes no work, and with no work comes despair, and with despair comes the dope." And this paragraph, too, is true, though I might see it a little different: "And the churches, they have cropped up everywhere in this town and others like it, and another springs up just about every week, passing around collection plates and letting poor folks know without saying so that it’s better to invest in the next life than this one. They buy prayers instead of supper, and they go to bed hungry for good news." Even as a Christian and former minister, I've seen this all too often in my hometown. I love her message. Read her writing, I promise it soothes the soul. 

• Choose to Hear Love Instead (Scribbles and Crumbs): I love this article and I appreciate the message. Sometimes people don't know what to say. You have to choose to hear love instead. 

• 17 More Times Feminists Had The Perfect Comeback (Buzz Feed): This might be one of the best things I've read in a long time. 

Be Aware:

• Manitoba First Nation declares state of emergency over suicide epidemic (CTV News)

• My three daughters are autistic. I despise Autism Awareness Month (Washington Post): On some levels, I disagree with this article. I think that some people who have high-functioning autism (like aspies), need to celebrate the things that make them unique and doing so helps others understand. But, autism is a spectrum and by focusing on the high functioning members, sometimes we forget that there is a more complicated life being lived by caretakers whose children/wards are unable to complete simple tasks without significant help. Be aware. 

• Watch: Women diagnosed with autism late tell their stories (Autism Speaks): To go along with the article posted above, I wanted to share this. I have been able to interact with multiple women who have been diagnosed as adults and I recognize a lot of the qualities in myself. I think it's important to see how autism looks differently on different people, especially women. Be aware. 

• New Statistics Show Just How Broke Millennials Actually Are (Post Grad Problems): To all my family members who hear me say I'm broke and think that I'm exaggerating... 

To make you Laugh:

Education and Teaching:

• he infrastructure that supports a dissertation is ridiculous. (Mel Chua): This totally awesome article is written by my good friend, Mel. I think it is really important to think about the infrastructure required for academics to succeed. Yes, we need lots of willpower, but we also need support. I wouldn't get very far without my friends, my librarian, and my access to materials. 

• Why do academics drink so much? (The Guardian): As a PhD student who spends a significant amount of time not just at her own institution, but also at her alma mater, I have to say: this article hits the nail on the head. We are constantly drinking. As someone who prefers not to drink at all, but most especially not around people she works with, I often feel out of the loop. 

• Cheer up, my academic colleagues! We're so lucky to do this job (The Guardian): I really appreciate this article. I am often exhausted and overwhelmed, but I realize how lucky I am to have such a cool life. I hang out with college students and talk about grammar. What could be better?

• Positive Strategies to Avoid Stress, Anxiety, and Burnout (edutopia): I have been struggling with this a lot lately and have been afraid of burning out because of how much work is on my plate. I think that these strategies will help a lot. I hope they help you, too!

• The Conference Manifesto (New York Times): It's ironic for me to post this just after posting my own mini-explanation of the academic conference, but I think that this article is on point. 

• The Life Of Overwhelmed College Students As Told By Friends (Odyssey): This was just too cute (and real for undergrads) to not share. 

Simplicity and Minimalism:

• How I Created a Wardrobe I Love While Spending Less Money than Ever (Verily): I frequently post about capsule wardrobes and this is another great article along the same theme. I cannot stress enough how much easier this makes your life. 

Environmentalism, Farming, Food, Health, and Nutrition:

• A West Virginia Family Leaves Coal for Local Food—And Wants to Help Others Do the Same (Yes! Magazine): This is a great article about people doing good in Appalachia. Farming, building up the land, feeding people--so much better than destroying the earth to get a little bit of coal. Coal is dying. Let's embrace agriculture again. 

Parenting:

• The Reason My Daughter Will Remain an Only Child (Scary Mommy): For my friends who have struggled with post-partum depression and for those who struggle to understand/believe it. 

Welcome to March! This Week in Review

Every week, I curate a list of the best links and articles to make you think and keep you informed. Enjoy!

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This sure has been a week! I'm not sure where it went! I was sick for part of it and the rest of it has been spent getting applications for funding ready. It's a busy time in most schools, so I know some of you understand. I'm really excited--one week until Spring Break! Admittedly, Spring Break will be spent mostly writing conference papers and catching up on reading, but there's also the wonderful Alamo Drafthouse giving teachers free admissions to movies, so I'm totally taking advantage of that!

What I wrote this week:

• A Different Sort of Liturgy: Last weekend was the memorial service for my mentor from undergrad, Dr. Karl Maurer. This is my tribute to that event, which was really important for many of us. It was an honor to meet so many of his family and friends. What wonderful people--and celebrating such a wonderful man! 

What I read this week:

Popery (Catholicism/Spirituality/Religion):

• Urban Church (Planting) Plantations (Christena Cleveland): This is problematic on multiple levels. 

• It is NOT Okay (Refocus Ministry): This really goes with some of the stuff that I posted under "General," but I think that it's important to post this under my ministry section. The way we treat other humans says more about our souls than it does our politics. 

Pens: 

• New Research Explains How The Pen Is Mightier Than The Keyboard (The New Literacy): I think I have always intuitively known this. I have never successfully taken notes in class on a computer and I forbid my students from even trying. 
• Letter to the Pen Addict Community (Reverenced Writing): First of all, this is a pen blog by a Catholic Priest!!!! (Yes, I did totally geek out when I discovered this). Secondly, this is a good article. While I have never experienced people being rude at pen shows (on the contrary, I have collected a few, as my friends call them, "old men pen boyfriends"), I think it's important to respect and listen to the "old guard" of pendom. 

Paperbacks (Books and Writing):

• A Memoir Doesn't Have to Tell the Truth (Book Riot): I like this article. So many times when I'm trying to write down something that happened, I struggle with details. Yet, it's not the details that matter, it's the story: what happened, what did it mean, how did it impact you. This is a great article about that. 

• Wil Wheaton is right: Stop expecting artists to work for free — or worse, for “exposure” (Salon): A friend of mine had an article picked up by Huffington Post and she was so excited for the exposure, but I felt really uncomfortable about it. I was glad to hear that Will Wheaton had shared my views. This is really just a big company taking advantage of a little writer. I've seen the posts--they don't give them huge links to their own websites to drive enough traffic to really make it worth it. Unless you want your ten seconds of internet fame, probably it's best to just not. 

• How To Tell If You’re In a Flannery O’Connor Story (The Toast): This is brilliant. I particularly loved, "Ever since you returned from the North, you take enormous pride in being both unmarried and ugly."

Life in General:

• Learn to Fight with your Friends and Stay Friends (Medium): This. is. so. important. Seriously, though, I know a lot of people who struggle with this. Lately, I've been talking with my students about this a lot because of the political scene. It's important to learn to deal with differences--well, some differences. I'm still struggling on how to stay friends with people who are racist and I'm not sure that I should, but beyond that, we have to celebrate differences. 

• An open letter to the people who hate Obama more than they love America (Daily Kos): Probably an interesting contrast to the article above, I found this article both deeply troubling and a little freeing. I know people who are like this, but I don't like the belief that everyone who is "conservative" (whatever the hell that means) is. 

• 6 Reasons I'll Never Wear A Bra Again (Bustle)

• Harvard Medical Scientists Say Police Killings Should Be Recorded As Public Epidemic (US Uncut): No matter how unpopular this idea is, police probably shouldn't kill people for no reason. Also, police probably shouldn't be killed for no reason. Generally speaking, killing people is bad: yet, here we are with a public epidemic of it. 

• Healing the mother wound (Rebelle Society): I really get this. Sometimes you have to take a closer look in order to let go of the hurt. 

• To Men I Love, About Men Who Scare Me (Medium): This is real life for so many women. It's something others should be aware of. 

• 4 Things we Can Learn From Kids about Handling Our Emotions (Verily): As someone who regularly spends time with adults who have no idea how to handle their own emotions, I thought this was really good. Honestly, I need this, too. We all probably do. 

• O, Death: Mysteries of the Long Sleep (Appalachian Ink): I love Anna Wess's writing and this is no different. "And I will not fear death. I will run free. I will find ol’ Death before he finds me!"

To make you Laugh:

• A Day in the Life of a Middle Schooler in the 2000's (The Odyssey Online): This is a little too accurate for my tastes, but it was a fun read. 

Education:

• The Everlasting Magic of English Teachers (Book Riot): Maybe it's self serving to share this, but I, too, have had those teachers who moved me and have impacted my personal life for years. They weren't only English teachers--History teachers, Theology professors, and Classics teachers have all been influential. It's always good to celebrate a good teacher--they shape the world. 

Simplicity and Minimalism:

• How I quit my smartphone addiction and really started living (The Guardian): Sometimes, I think about doing this. I'm not sure if I could handle that right now, but when I actually have a house (and when I live somewhere that I can survive without GPS), maybe I could. 

Environmentalism, Farming, Food, Health, and Nutrition:

• Coal is dying. Who’s going to pay for the cleanup? You are! (The Grist): For anyone who has been near coal country in the last decade, we know how much damage has been done. Now, someone is going to have to clean up the mess!

The Week in Review... What I've read and written

Every week, I curate a list of the best links and articles to make you think and keep you informed. I hope you enjoy this week's selection which includes great articles about religion, pens, incowrimo, books, farming, and more! 

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What I've Read:

Popery (Catholicism/Spirituality/Religion):

• Why Give Up Chocolate for Lent When You Can Give Up Plastic? (The New Dream Blog): This is a lenten sacrifice worthy of our time. 

• Living Simply During Lent (Integrated Catholic Life): An oldie, but a goodie. I revisit this article every year at Lent. 

• Giving Up Indifference for Lent (Sojourners): This is a great challenge to all of us. 

Pens:

• 25 Resources To Jump-Start Your Pen Addiction (The Gentleman Stationer): This is a great article exploring different resources and information about fountain pens. Have you been interested but not sure about pens? This is for you. 

InCoWriMo: It's February and that means that it's International Correspondence Writing Month. If you don't know what that is, these links will give you all you need to know to participate in this gloriously analog celebration. 

• InCoWriMo: The official page of InCoWriMo

• InCoWriMo – Let's Write Some Letters in February (Boho Berry): This is another great article about InCoWriMo. 

• InCoWriMo 2016: Why It's Never Wrong To Write a Thank-You Letter (A Fool With a Pen): I have a friend who always writes thank you letters. It's so kind and I'm trying to be just like her. This is a great article about the benefits. 

Paperbacks (Books and Writing):

• In Praise of Neat and Tidy Bookstores (Book Riot): Although I love stacks of books, when it comes to bookstores, I also prefer neat and tidy (so you can find what you're looking for!). 
• 92 Percent of Students Prefer Paper Books Over E-Books (NBC News): Given that my students love when I print out readings for them, this doesn't surprise me. I can never learn as well from an e-book. 

• Used Bookstores: A Lifelong Love Affair (Book Riot): This peaks to my soul. 

Life in General:

• 48 Signs You’ve Hit Your Late 20s, Are Completely Ancient And Love It (Elite Daily): This is pretty true for my friends and me right now. 

• After Living in Norway, America Feels Backward. Here’s Why. (Moyers and Co.): This is a really important article. 

• The human remains just found at Stonehenge could change how we see the ancient world (Upworthy): It's kind of cool to see scientists learn more and more about Stonehenge even now. 

• I Am Not That Mom (We don't Chew Glass): While I'm not a mom, I relate to this woman's struggle. Anything is complicated when you struggle with depression and illness. 

Things to make you smile:

• Guide Dog In Training Gets All Goofy When He Meets Pluto At Disneyland (Huffington Post): I had to watch this a few times. It's too cute!

Education:

• Why academics need to get moving (The Guardian): I know from personal experience how easy it is to get out of the habit of moving when overwhelmed by the work of academia. This article serves as a great reminder that academics need to be in motion to do well in the field (and well in life). 

• Paying Graduate School's Mental Toll (Science Magazine): This.is.my.life. Really, though, almost every person in my PhD program struggles with anxiety or depression. I know a lot of academics who struggle with this or with other emotional/mental problems. But there is almost no support for graduate students in this. I'm glad this article is raising the visibility of the problem. 

• What Ivy League students are reading that you aren’t (Washington Post)

Simplicity and Minimalism:

• On Borrowed Dime (Minimal Millenial): As a student who is deeply in debt, this speaks to me. 

Farming, Food, Health, and Nutrition:

• Organic Farming Could, Maybe, Feed The World, Say Scientists (Modern Farmer): Everyone always says that the American Farmer feeds the world, but that they have to use pesticides to do so. I love this article explaining that they simply don't. 
• The Female Farmer Project: This is a website, not an article. I think it deserves a mention as it works to make women farmers more respected. 

What I've Written: 

• Read my review of Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood 

Link Love Friday: January 29

Every week, I curate a list of the best links and articles to make you think and keep you informed. I hope you enjoy this week's selection. 

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Life/General:

• The #unsentproject is the most tragically romantic hashtag we've seen (Hello, Giggles): This is a really interesting project. I am interested to learn more. 
• These linguists studied female Disney characters — what they found is startling (Hello, Giggles): A good analysis of the problematic nature of Disney movies. 
• The Top 7 Countries To Move To If Donald Trump Becomes President (Many Many Adventures): Although I most likely wouldn't leave the US (mostly out of necessity of FINISHING THIS DAMN DEGREE), I was interested to see what countries made the  list. Sadly, Italy did not. 
• Turns out, we might have been using escalators wrong for years (Hello, Giggles): Reminds me of Rome. 
• A short comic gives the simplest, most perfect explanation of privilege I've ever seen. (UP Worthy): This is a great explanation of privilege. Unfortunately,  people who don't believe in privilege (or don't want to) most likely won't be convinced by a comic. 
• How we used to die; how we die now (Exopermaculture): This is something I've thought a lot about lately as I've watched friends grow older and older. The way that we die now in many ways takes away the dignity of the dying and removes them from the comfort their own  parents enjoyed in death. Is the convenience or the extended time worth it? Let me know what you think. 
• How it feels to be a poor mother living without heat during a blizzard (The Washington Post): This makes me grateful for the heater in my house, even if it doesn't work well. At least we have heat. 

Life/Inspirational: 

• St. Thomas Aquinas’ 5 Remedies Against Sadness (Aleteia): Although I suppose this should have been put under the "Religion" section, I think that Aquinas' methods are sound for all faith traditions. And, honestly, they're good advice--especially that last one. Thanks, Molly, for sharing this with me!
• 9 Excuses Artists Need to Stop Making in 2016 (Huff Post): I think these are excuses we need to stop making, period. Certainly my art and my school work would benefit. 
• 21 People Share Something Someone Said That Forever Changed Their Way Of Thinking. (Knowable): Some of these are really, really good and will challenge you. Which ones stand out most to you?
• Let Us Wage Peace (Sojourners): Somehow I missed this lovely tribute to MLK last week on the holiday. I love it. Check it out. 

Religion, Christianity, and Catholicism:

• Church Trek: The Next Generation (NCR): This is a great reflection on what it means to be Catholic and the moments when we have sometimes overlooked our Church's failings in a way that we should rethink. I really appreciated the author's consideration of her daughter's decision to become Episcopalian. Also, no one should have to sign that form to be confirmed. Sacraments should not be politicized. 

• The Rebel Virgins and Desert Mothers who Have Been Written out of Christianity's Early History (Atlas Obscura): I have always loved stories about the desert mothers, especially Holy Melania. I'm grateful for this great outlining of the history. (P.S. Melania literally traveled with and preached beside Paul half the time. His bit about women not talking in Church? He didn't follow that rule himself. This is a case of the usual "we don't know what he was responding to in the letter, so we should probably proceed with caution" kind of situation.)

• It's Time for National Confession of Sin (Sojourners): I'm not sure this really needs my commentary. 

Books and Writing: 

• 14 Secret Habits Every Book-Lover Is Guilty Of Having (Bustle): I relate to these pretty well. Numbers 2 and 3 especially. 

• Scientists find evidence of mathematical structures in classic books (The Guardian): Apparently Finnegan's Wake is more than just a hard book to read. 

• A Storied Stay for Literary Lovers: 10 Great Bookish Hotels (Book Riot): Some of these are just amazing. 

• Writing Begins With Forgiveness: Why One of the Most Common Pieces of Writing Advice Is Wrong (Seven Scribes): This is a good thing to consider if you're feeling guilty about not writing. 

Geek Life/ Fandoms: 

• This person just realised that the Doctor Who episode they were watching is set... in their house (Radio Times): While it is rather disappointing that Moffat did not pay more attention to detail in this episode, this fan's realization is still really, really cool. 

• Tim From JURASSIC PARK Applies To Paleontology Grad School (Book Riot): Just for giggles. 

• Someone recut "Harry Potter" as a '90s teen movie and it WORKS (Hello, Giggles): Oh my gosh. This is brilliant! I could watch it over and over. 

Pens, Paper, and Lettering:

• The Paper Chase: Confessions of a stationery addict (Slate): Although my paper collection is not quite up to this level, I can relate through my own collection of over 100 fountain pen inks. I love June's reflections on stationery and the deep craving and comfort it bestows. 

• Fountain Pen Contentment (FP Quest): I enjoyed this article and also relate to the sentiment. For the most part, I'm really happy with my collection. There are a couple pens on the to-buy list, but I'll get them eventually. In the meantime, I love writing with my pens and I do write them dry. 

• Meet The Man Who Created Papyrus, The World's (Other) Most Hated Font (Fast Co. Design): Even as a calligrapher who has designed her own fonts (for personal use), I have never given much thought to who designed the fonts we used on a daily basis. Papyrus is one of those fonts that I have a love-hate relationship with, but I never considered who might have designed it. This is a great story and I thought it was really cool to learn more about the creator of such a well-known typeface. 

• Here's Why Writing Things Out By Hand Makes You Smarter (Business Insider): I completely disagree with the idea that typing is faster, but I also think that this argument is more important. You need to process what you write in notes, otherwise you learn nothing by taking them. 

Simplicity/Minimalism/Natural Living/Farming:

• Here’s Why You Should Avoid Toxic Tide Laundry Detergent Like The Plague (Healthy, Wild, and Free): I already avoid these because they're bad for the Earth, but also because my mom's insane allergies trained me to go natural from an early age. But for those of you who use Tide or other big commercial brands, please read this. 

• Our Wedding: PT. 1 | The Ethic Of Seasonal (Down Home Blog): I'm in love with this couple's wedding photos. So beautiful, so simple. And buying plates at Goodwill to avoid trash and add to the decor? Brilliant. 

• American Farmers are Rapidly Retiring. Who Will Succeed Them? (Modern Farmer): I frequently wish that I could have become a farmer instead. I love this video and admire these people who keep up the hard work of feeding the world good, healthy food. 

• Struggling with Consumerism (America): I, too, struggle with consumerism. I think we all do. The answer is to choose simplicity, but how do we do that in modern America?

Education:

• Court rules Michigan has no responsibility to provide quality public education (Chicago Defender): It is a sad, sad time for education in America. Remember the link above about moving to another country if Trump wins? I think we should all move to another country because of this ruling. 

• Why Introverted Teachers Are Burning Out (The Atlantic): I totally get this. As an introvert who teaches at University, I can't imagine being a full time high school teacher, especially at a public school. Where is the silence?

• Marc Chagall makes his presence felt at the University of Dallas (Dallas News): I haven't seen the exhibit yet, but I want to. 

• The Idea Woman: How Louise Cowan Made Dallas Think (Dallas Magazine): I love Louise Cowan and appreciate this article remembering her for the complicated figure she was. 

Other Interesting Articles: 

• Breaking the Gender Binary: The Navajo had Four Genders (Spirit Science): I have always found the native ideas of the two-spirited to be interesting and helpful in navigating gender discussions. Although I know many of my friends are completely against or turned off by these ideas, they are not without precedent in the West, either. 

Link Love Friday: Double Edition

Every week, I curate a list of the best links and articles to make you think and keep you informed. Because last week's was missed in the celebrations of my birthday, this week's Link Love list is twice as long as usual. 

Books:

• 10 Kick-Ass Secret Passage Bookshelves (Book Riot): Because I have always dreamed of having one... and I assume you have, too. 

• Teddy Roosevelt’s 10 Rules for Reading (Book Riot): I really enjoyed reading this list of TR's rules. I especially appreciate how he throws out the common belief that certain books must be read by all and that we should pity those who have different taste. The reference to Poe was also enjoyed. 

• How to Read an Entire Book in a Single Day (Life Hacker): I think I already knew all of this, but it's a nice reminder that yes, you can get through it even if you waited until the last minute. (Not that I ever do that... just in case my profs are reading.)

• Why the British Tell Better Children’s Stories (The Atlantic): Although I am working on my PhD in 20th Century American Literature, I far prefer British literature. There is something about the magical quality of British writing that appeals to me, particularly in their children's lit. I would gladly take Curdie and his goblins over Doctor Seuss. In this article, the author explains why it is that the British writers are so much more in-tune with Children's stories. 

• I Have Aspergers and This Book Changed My Life (Book Riot): I haven't read this book, but after reading this article, I think I should. What books have helped you understand social norms better?

• The Best Feminist Books For Younger Readers (Book Riot)

• How to Turn from a Book Hoarder into a Book Collector (Book Riot): This is something I have been reflecting on, particularly now that most of my library is in storage. 

Life:

• Are You Poor, or Just Broke? 3 Ways to Tell the Difference (Everyday Feminism): As someone who grew up on the brink of poverty, I recognize that these differences are really important. I'm blessed to be broke and not really poor. I recognize that although things are tough, they could be worse. 

• Watch the story of a man who did the unimaginable after escaping life as a child soldier. (UP Worthy): Talk about succeeding in the face of everything. Check out this moving article about a young man who went from being a child soldier to entering law school. This gives me so much gratitude for my own education and opportunities. 

• I Should Be Engaged. (Corinne Rogero): This is a great reflection on how we interact with the world. 

• 5 Things Women Are Tired Of Men Explaining To Them, Because We Can Disagree Without Being "Confused" (Bustle): This is real life. Just because we disagree does not mean I'm ignorant, confused, unintelligent, or uninformed.

• I Let My Grandma Dress Me For A Week & This Is What Happened (Bustle): While I know my grandmother wouldn't do this (partially because she would never be willing to pick up a tablet, much less face time me), I thought this was a really neat experiment. I love this girl's grandma. Super cool!

• 13 Charts That Will Make Total Sense To People With Impostor Syndrome (Buzz Feed): This hits a little too close to home. I'm sure everyone can relate to every one of these. 

• Why Winning the Lottery Isn’t the Answer (Becoming Minimalist): I love this quote from this article: "On a fundamental level, we all want to feel like what we do is a part of something bigger than us. And the truth is that can happen in any context, if you have the right mindset. What brought me out of my funk was not more leisure, but the realization that I needed to work. We all do. But it’s not just the work that fulfills us. It’s the way we work." I think this is an important thing to remember. Too many people talk about after retirement, but the happiest people I know never retire and never stop working. 

Family: 

• 15 Mother-In-Law Behaviors That Deserve a Punch in the Face (Scary Mommy): Although I myself am not in possession of a mother in law, I can only imagine how damaging these might be for a young marriage. My mother had a difficult mother in law and some of my friends have similar stories. Good lord, people, let your adult children be adults. 

Education:

• Detroit’s Teachers Want You to See These Disturbing Photos of Their Toxic Schools (US Uncut): Good lord. Look at these photos. Someone should answer for this. 

Catholicism/Religion/Spirituality:

• All My Favorite Theologians Are Dying (Sojourners): Although some might baulk at the idea of calling Alan Rickman a theologian, I think this is a poignant article that reminds us how we have found God in so much of Rickman's work.