Archive for January 2024

The National Retail Federation has retracted an allegation that more than half of the $94.5 billion in lost merchandise in 2021 was stolen by organized retail crime rings. Large groups of thieves who invade retail outlets and steal items for resale on the black market. In reality, this form of organized shoplifting accounted for about…

If you’re ever in a public speaking situation and asked if you want to use a microphone, please say yes every time. So often, I’ve found myself in a position to speak in public alongside others, and someone – always a man – declines the microphone with nonsense bravado. “My voice carries well.” “I know…

A friend told me his head is full of stories but lacks the chops to get them down on paper. He wondered aloud if someone would be willing to write them down for him and craft them into books, at which point his wife said, “You’re not a writer. You’re just source material.” She was…

There have been many inspirational speeches throughout history. Knute Rockne’s “One for the Gipper” speech. The Saint Crispin’s Day speech from Shakespeare’s Henry V (which sounds surprisingly like the speech that the President gives before the final battle against the aliens on Independence Day). Winston Churchill’s address to the House of Commons following the evacuation…

A recent YouGov poll found that 46 percent of Americans did not read a book in 2023. As an author, this number alarms me. As a teacher, it deeply saddens me. As a human being, it crushes my soul. Not a single book read in an entire year? How is this possible? Someone recently lamented…

Ten years ago today, I wrote about Martin Luther King Day and my daughter, Clara. It’s the epitome of why I write so much. Had I not taken the time to record this moment a decade ago, it would have been lost to me (and Clara) (and the world) forever. Instead, I “took care of…

As the New Year approached, you might have seen or read articles on why New Year’s resolutions never work and are best avoided. It’s a trope that media outlets love to roll out this time of year. It’s nonsense. New Year’s resolutions (and goal setting in general) work for those motivated to achieve the desired…

Looking for a new musician to love? Pink, whose music I already like a lot, recently announced her plan to give away 2,000 banned books at each of her coming Florida concerts. She’s teamed up with PEN America and the Florida bookstore Books & Books to combat book bans, especially those targeting authors writing about…

“If you can’t ignore an insult, top it; if you can’t top it, laugh it off; and if you can’t laugh it off, it’s probably deserved.” – Russel Lynes I love this quote, but I’d like to revise it a bit: “If you can’t ignore an insult, top it. If you can’t top it, laugh…

It’s not often that a commercial supports two distinct and divergent purposes so equally well. I won’t say more lest I ruin the video before you can watch it. But you’ll understand what I mean after you watch. The effectiveness of the commercial is predicated upon two storytelling strategies found in almost every great story…