Category: hope

Charlottesville Is Not So Very Far From Home

ByRachel August 14, 2017 0 Comments
When I was about 8 or 9 years old, we heard that a chapter of the KKK planned to hold a white supremacy rally in my small Midwestern town. Whether this was planned or just rumored I’m not sure, but we took the threat seriously. My father heard that concerned citizens intended to protest the rally to show their disapproval of white supremacy, to show the KKK that they could not claim our town as...

What 80s Babies Know About Balancing Technology

ByRachel March 22, 2016 3 Comments
  Back in November, I wrote a blog post about how much the internet has taken over our lives, and never got around to Part 2. I couldn’t figure out where to go from there—until I ran across the recent article “Why 80’s Babies Are Different Than Other Millennials,” and realized that 80s babies are actually the secret weapon to figuring out this modern technology conundrum. No,...

Blessed Are Those Who Don’t Need No Therapy–and other things Jesus never said.

ByRachel August 14, 2014 0 Comments
I'm not pulling punches on this one. I was incredibly sad to see Robin Williams go this week. It's even more terrible and tragic that his death came at his own hand. And it's even worse that some people called him a coward, or belittled his supposed lack of willpower in powering through life. I'd like to see some of these people spend 63 years in constant mental pain and then see who's the...

Book To Movie: Fault In Our Stars

ByRachel June 12, 2014 0 Comments
After two sets of rearranged plans and many adventures getting to the theater, I finally completed my summer goal and saw the movie version of A Fault In Our Stars,which was easily my favorite read of the past year.And yes, it was awesome. Shailene Woodley is an amazing actress and really nailed the character of Hazel, right down to the haircut. Ansel Elgort did a better job as Gus than I...

In Defense of YA, and of Positivity in General

ByRachel June 6, 2014 13 Comments
I thought I’d better say something about the infamous "Against YA" article in Slate, since, you know…I have a degree in this subject.A few days ago, Slate contributor Ruth Graham wrote a piece in which she chided adults for reading young adult fiction. YA is alright for teens, she says, but grown-ups should be “embarrassed” if the bulk of their library consists more of YA than adult...