Cartoons for Adults

Are you an adult who loves cartoons? There are plenty of children’s cartoons that adults can enjoy, but today I want to talk about animated TV shows meant just for grown-ups. Cartoons can be just as engaging as live-action shows, and the format allows them to do things other shows can’t. Most are comedies, but even those can include strong character development and ongoing story lines that beg to be binge watched.


A Basic Gal’s Guide to Jane Austen: Persuasion

I am doing my own version of The Jane Austen Book Club. Yes – I took my inspiration from a romantic comedy (it was a book first). Just chalk it up to another symptom of my basic status. One Austen book a month for six months so I can read all of her major novels. In random order, the first book is…Persuasion. So let’s dive in, basic girl style.


Screen-free Fun

May 1st through 7th is Screen-free Week! Why not encourage your child to enjoy a few days with no TV, computer or tablet?



Throwback Thursday: Mingus, Mingus, Mingus!

Charles Mingus is one of a handful of the most important jazz composers of the 20th century. He was a giant of jazz, an innovator whose music blends classical, bop, and free jazz to create something else again. In addition, in the volatile time that he lived, he was an unapologetic advocate of civil rights in the United States.



Scott Pilgrim’s Not-So-Ordinary Life

Scott Pilgrim is a normal guy—except he has to fight a league of evil exes in order to be with his true love. Oh and did I mention that his world is some kind of cross between video games and reality?



Eco Literature

Now that the weather is changing and it’s pleasant to be out of doors again, I’m beginning to re-remember what a lovely part of the country we call home! Up … Continued


Le Guin’s Poetry Urges Us Towards Awareness

Many know Ursula K. Le Guin through her hefty body of science fiction and fantasy work, perhaps The Lathe of Heaven or the well-loved Earthsea series. Others might be familiar with her books on writing, like the beautifully titled Steering the Craft: A Twenty-first Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story, published in 2015. Still others devote themselves to her poetry, and its gently lilting verse. For those unfamiliar with the latter part of her repertoire, Le Guin’s newest collection, Late in the Day, provides a lovely introduction.