Do Stories Benefit Us?
The common sentiment among writers and readers is that stories are good for us, and many would say that we need stories. Tim Parks explores this idea for the New York Review of Books blog. Why do we claim that stories benefit us, or fulfill a need? Is it because they allow us to find ourselves in an...
Sweets on Broad Street
Broad Street in 19th century Norwich, Connecticut, revealed the sweet successes and entrepreneurial grit of African-American and Native-American locals the Peckham family. Below is text from a story by Dale Plummer on African-American entrepreneurship for The Day newspaper in October 1999: An important black-owned family business in Norwich in the mid-1800s was a confectionery and toy store operated on...
Famous Lists
Human beings love making lists. Lists have permeated our culture, they help us organize our thoughts, help us remember thoughts for later, and generally minimize the chaos of human lives. The exact origin of the word list is unknown, but it can be traced back to a Germanic word meaning pleasure, a telling connection in...
On exhibit, November 2013: Chad Hunt’s wartime photo essay “Ghosting Home.”
On Friday, Nov. 1, renowned photojournalist Chad Hunt will take part in coffee and conversation as part of the opening of a two-week photo exhibit of his photographs of soldiers in and after Afghanistan. “Ghosting Home,” featuring images taken during Hunt’s time embedded in Korengai Province, Afghanistan, is a...
