life, travel, stories – Join the journey, Love Raven
Dear Reader, Why do we read fiction? Unlike an algebra textbook or a cookbook, our motivations for reading something that is totally ‘make believe’ is unclear. Of course, there are obvious answers to my question – we read ‘for fun’ or simply because we want to ‘know what happens.’ Lately, I have been reading memoirs,... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, You know how the bright sky can darken within a matter of minutes before a storm? That’s what happened when I was sitting outside to write one afternoon. It was a warm, humid day in Boston, but the sky was overcast and there was a slight breeze, which made the air comfortable rather... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, And like that! There were no more pages to read. Have ever read a book so quickly that it feels like a little episode in your head rather than a full book? That is exactly what happened to me when I completed I Was Told There'd Be Cake: Essays by Sloane Crosley in... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Last night, I caught myself remembering a scene from a game show. In “Cash Cab,” the game show host drives through the streets of New York City posing as a taxi driver. When unsuspecting customers get into the cab, they are surprised to learn that they have a chance to answer a series... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Standing up and exchanging “I do’s” in front of family and friends is a moment many dream about. The decision to marry is a joyful and highly anticipated one, at least, it is for most people. When Elizabeth Gilbert and her Brazilian boyfriend, David find themselves in an interrogation room at the Dallas-Fort... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Domestic abuse comes in all forms, yet U.S. law and popular culture primarily focus on physical violence that men have committed against women. While this description of abuse is prevalent and serious, it does not encapsulate the problem. What is missing from this narrative, however, is the wide spectrum of abuse including emotional,... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, If you are married to someone who has cheated on you, you may harbor hope deep down in your heart that your partner will change. If you are married to someone who is suffering from an addiction, you will do anything in your power to help your partner get help and recover. However,... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Do you come from a big family? If you are an American, statistically speaking, probably not. In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the average family consisted of 3.14 persons in 2019, which is tiny, considering the size of the average household in 1850 was around 5.5. I was thinking about these numbers recently... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Have you heard of Madame Bovary? If not, the internet will inform you that Gustave Flaubert’s 1856 work is actually one of the ‘greatest novels of all time.’ Intrigued, I decided to read an English translation of the French work and I must say, I’m not sure what all the hype is about.... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, There are some books so compelling that you think about them even when you are not engrossed in their pages and long after you close them for good. Unfortunately, I don’t think this would be a very accurate description of the book The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule. That was harsh, and,... Continue Reading →
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