The Blog Spot

AWP Conference: Philly March 23-26 (two dreams become one)

AWP Conference: Philly March 23-26 (two dreams become one)

I don’t know what the odds are that my son will learn to speak normally one day. I do know there’s a 60% chance that he’ll have dyslexia, making reading and learning the imaginative, powerful art of words extremely difficult all over again. But there’s a 40% chance he won’t have it.

Similarly, I don’t know the percentage of how many times my manuscript might get rejected. All I know is there’s a chance it won’t.

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Successful IVF After Stage 3 Endometriosis (and ANOTHER baby on the way!)

Successful IVF After Stage 3 Endometriosis (and ANOTHER baby on the way!)

“I think it’s very important to trust your gut. Even the best doctors could use a different perspective. Keep faith, and always believe in creating the family of your dreams, even if it is not created the way you initially hoped for!” -Jessica, carrier mamma of Jameson and Baby Elliot

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Why America Definitely Doesn't Have the Best Healthcare in the World
Health and Well, Stories/Poetry/Music Brittany Stepniak Health and Well, Stories/Poetry/Music Brittany Stepniak

Why America Definitely Doesn't Have the Best Healthcare in the World

America, in many regards, is amazing. But what’s most amazing about it, perhaps, is its potential to actually be all of the things we already believe it is. A real land of liberty and justice, for all. Regardless of our race, zip code, or tax bracket. And, as Snyder argues, that all starts with looking at health care as a human right.

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On the Fringes of Happiness: Stop Doing That, Start Doing This

On the Fringes of Happiness: Stop Doing That, Start Doing This

Turns out, happiness is a bit counterintuitive to our competitive, ego-driven, individualistic Western mindsets. It may be enhanced or hindered by – but never defined by – our jobs, our relationships, addresses, or possessions.

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Family Psychologist on Coping with “Back-to-School” Anxiety Amid Covid-19 Spikes

Family Psychologist on Coping with “Back-to-School” Anxiety Amid Covid-19 Spikes

Whether you are sending your child to school or homeschooling for the first time, here are some important insights and tips to help you navigate a “new normal” — and how to look at life from your child’s perspective in light of some unprecedented hardships and a difficult transition.

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The Tragedy No One Is Talking About in the “Back-to-School” DeVos Debate

The Tragedy No One Is Talking About in the “Back-to-School” DeVos Debate

While I’m personally not a fan of DeVos for past policies and remarks, I will play the devil’s advocate and say that DeVos brings up an interesting, albeit convoluted and controversial, point. Whether she realizes it or not…

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2020: The Tipping Point & “Black Lives Matter”—More Contagious Than Covid-19

2020: The Tipping Point & “Black Lives Matter”—More Contagious Than Covid-19

Divisions aside, the past couple of decades have united us over shared tragedies. There is no doubt in my mind that 2020 is the Tipping Point. And there’s no doubt in my mind that the power of hope and demands for these humanitarian changes are more contagious than the “silent majority.”

P.S. it’s okay to condemn violence, looting, and arson but still believe that the right to protest is a pillar of American society to keep us in check.

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Oh, Cool — Another Deadly Virus Is Trying to Kill Us
Brittany Stepniak Brittany Stepniak

Oh, Cool — Another Deadly Virus Is Trying to Kill Us

Okay, so murder hornets were a false alarm. And we’re turning this year’s locust plague into chicken feed in farms across the world. (YAY!) But a deadly mosquito-borne disease is the latest apocalyptic plague of revelation we must contend with now. (BOO!)

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World Environment Day (5 Simple Lifestyle Tips, VIDEO)
Brittany Stepniak Brittany Stepniak

World Environment Day (5 Simple Lifestyle Tips, VIDEO)

Because changing the world really starts with changing ourselves through small behaviors that then become habits. So Happy World Environment Day and cheers to making big differences, one small, altered behavior at a time.

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Breonna Taylor Would Have Been 27 Today
Stories/Poetry/Music Brittany Stepniak Stories/Poetry/Music Brittany Stepniak

Breonna Taylor Would Have Been 27 Today

As our nation comes together in an attempt to re-thread the shredded fabrics of American society — from the systemic racism to the corrupt abuses of police and the oligarchy at large — we have to honor the lives lost in the climatic uprising of this revolution. So do what you need to do to be on the right side of history, and then hug your loved ones. And think of Breonna’s friends and families who can’t ever hug her again.

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Cheers to Endless “Noisy Summers” Thanks to Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”

Cheers to Endless “Noisy Summers” Thanks to Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”

Today we’re celebrating Rachel Carson — born on this day in 1907 — and her meticulous investigative reporting work and her uniquely brilliant, beautifully-poetic storytelling that helped us take a right turn towards a road less traveled. So cheers to endless noisy summers thanks to Carson’s Silent Spring.

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