I received this book as a gift years ago from my dearest friend, Sandy. This treasure trove of Jackie’s favorite poems was hand-picked by her daughter, Caroline Kennedy.
The book is divided into categories such as: young poems, patriotic poems, poems about love, adventure, escape, and reflection. Jackie was a huge lover of the arts and she shared that love with her children. As Caroline explains in one of the little introductions that she includes before each section (which are delightfully … [Read more...] about The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

I met author and poet Clint Smith several years ago at a conference we were both speaking at. I heard his speech and was uber impressed with his eloquence, insights, and positions on social justice. Prior to that, I had heard him interviewed on NPR where he read a few of his poems aloud. I immediately bought his first book of poetry, Counting Descent. I was blown away not only by the power of the poems but by his ability to share his experience of what it means to be a Black man in American … [Read more...] about Counting Descent

Aimee Nezhukumatathil writes the foreword to this wonderful collection of poems about gardens and the hands that tend them. Nezhukumatathil is a poet and the author of one of my favorite books World of Wonders—which is astonishing. In her forward to this collection of poems Leaning Toward Light, she writes, “I’ve been tickled for years to learn that the word anthology means a ‘gathering of flowers.’ Even if your garden grows vegetables or fruit, flowers need to bloom to make the harvest … [Read more...] about Leaning Toward Light

Billy Collins was Poet Laureate in 2001 and he wanted to keep the love of poetry alive, especially among teenagers. As he notes, “High school is the focus of my program because all too often it is the place where poetry goes to die.” He gathered a series of 180 poems that were short, clear, and that anyone could basically get in one hearing. The number matched the approximate number of days kids are in school, and he encouraged schools to read a poem a day over the loud speaker during … [Read more...] about Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry

“There are moments that cry out to be fulfilled. Like, telling someone you love them. Or giving your money away, all of it. Your heart is beating, isn't it?” Anything by the Pulitzer Prize winning and astonishing Mary Oliver is wonderful! I love Felicity and Dog Songs. … [Read more...] about Felicity

Whether your goal is to make it to the Moth stage, deliver the perfect wedding toast, wow clients at a business dinner, give a moving eulogy, ace a job interview, be a hit at parties, change the world, or simply connect more deeply to those around you, stories are essential. Sharing secrets of The Moth’s time-honed process and using examples from beloved storytellers, a team of Moth directors will show you how to

• mine your memories for your best stories
• explore structures that will boost … [Read more...] about How to Tell a Story

Loved this book!
Lynn Slater had the most incredible adventure of her life. During her 6th decade, a professor of social work, a grandmother with gray hair and wrinkles, became a fashion star. Somehow an ordinary woman found herself living an extraordinary older life as her alter ego, known as Accidental Icon. She says, “Ironically, during the years when society assumed I would become invisible as an older woman, I was more visible than at any other time of my life. Infinitely more visible than … [Read more...] about How To Be Old

From the Washington Post:

This book could have been a cross between a starchy academic study and a meandering trawl through Dench’s past glories. Instead, it is a delight, at once lively, captivating and informative. At 89, Dench’s eyesight is deteriorating, but she refuses to let age completely wither her. Throughout these pages, her memory remains prodigious, her passion for Shakespeare undimmed, and she still has the capacity to entertain. … [Read more...] about Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent

I received this book as a gift years ago from my dearest friend, Sandy. This treasure trove of Jackie’s favorite poems was hand-picked by her daughter, Caroline Kennedy.
The book is divided into categories such as: young poems, patriotic poems, poems about love, adventure, escape, and reflection. Jackie was a huge lover of the arts and she shared that love with her children. As Caroline explains in one of the little introductions that she includes before each section (which are delightfully … [Read more...] about The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis