Essay Writing Made Easy
“A beautiful work of art”
Featured Posts
Piloting Friendship, Starting at Mooyah
A trip to Mooyah provides the perfect, if unexpected, place for a decision to be made: it’s time to pilot a Friendship Project. Burgers and fries aside, consider joining the takeoff.
Fear is a Luxury You Can’t Afford: Just Make Art
Are you engaging in the luxury of fear? Take a cue from illustrator Susie Jaramillo, and learn the secrets to making art despite the self-doubt that picks at your artistic heart.
Book Club: The Art of Gathering: Making (and Breaking) Rules
In this week’s book club discussion of Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering, we consider how rules can provide the structure needed to make events more experimental, whimsical and democratic.
What’s Your Favorite Book?
What’s your favorite book? Bethany Rohde considers our favorites, and the sometimes difficult choice for readers with no single standout.
The 2017 Walt Whitman Award: “Eye Level” by Jenny Xie
“Eye Level” by Jenny Xie, a collection of poems marked by spareness and precision, is the 2017 winner of the Walt Whitman Award.
Poetry Prompt: Science Fiction with Ray Bradbury
Go on a walk after reading Ray Bradbury’s story “The Pedestrian,” then craft a sci-fi poem to share with us where your rambles took you.
Secrets of “The Golden Dress”: Interview With Illustrator Gail Nadeau
Learn the secrets of ‘The Golden Dress’ by L.L. Barkat, illustrated by Gail Nadeau and tuck a little something into your next creation.
Infographic: How to Write a Tanka
Try your hand at writing a tanka poem with our fun new infographic.
Book Club: The Art of Gathering—The Kindness of Exclusion (or, Not)
We begin our book club discussion of Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering with a look at the purpose of our gatherings and the need that sometimes arises to exclude, with kindness.
Strange and Wonderful Worlds: How I Discovered Science Fiction
Back in the late 1970s and 1980s, I discovered a literary genre that I knew existed but generally paid little attention to: science fiction.
Poetry Prompt: Science Fiction with Ursula K. Le Guin
Try writing a poem inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin, where setting is everything, whether it’s the California foothills, the banks of a creek bravely winding its way to the ocean, or an utterly new planet that only you have explored!
Children’s Book Club: “The Day The Crayons Quit”
What would you do if your crayons left you angry notes? Join us for a Children’s Book Club discussion of ‘The Day the Crayons Quit’ by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers.
Alan Seeger: The American Poet in World War I
One of the most famous poems to emerge from World War I was written by an American. Alan Seeger wrote “I Have a Rendezvous with Death” shortly before he died.
Poetry Prompt: Science Fiction with Tony Wolk
This week we’re spending time in our notebooks tracing the lines of connection, the poems we can’t forget, the books we always return to, reflecting on their influence on our poetry—and maybe sharing a poem to illustrate.
Book Club Announcement: Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering
Priya Parker encourages us to create meaningful, transformative gatherings that shape “the way we think, feel, and make sense of our world.” Join us for our latest book club discussion of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters.
Reading in the Wild: May’s Pages
Come learn the secrets of being a wild reader. Or just share your May pages. Megan Willome leads the way, with her May good reads.
Build Your Writing Momentum, With Some Editor TLC
Want to be a better writer? Learn helpful editorial tips in community at our new live Editor TLC events.
Poets and Poems: Sofia Starnes and “The Consequence of Moonlight”
The Consequence of Moonlight, the latest collection of poetry by former Virginia Poet Laureate Sofia Starnes, reads like a vivid dream.