Did you know that Herman Melville claimed a whaling ship was his “Harvard and Yale”? That 65% of current college housing is co-ed? Or that in 1880, England had four degree-granting institutions and a population of twenty-three million; while at the same time, Ohio had thirty-seven degree-granting institutions with a population of three million? These … Read more
Did you know that forty materials from twenty-eight countries go into the making of a #2 pencil? That a letter’s author owns the copyright, but the recipient owns the letter? Or that an experienced journalist is expected to produce about a thousand words per day? These questions, their answers, and a half-dozen pertinent cartoons are … Read more
Did you know that laughter and crying are a baby’s first means of communicating? A speaker laughs 46% more than the people listening? Or that about 1300 AD, Giotto painted the first human smiling? These questions, their answers, and a half-dozen pertinent cartoons are the subject of this Q and A presentation.
Did you know that Andrew Carnegie underwrote the construction of 2509 libraries? That in 2014, a library in San Antonio became the first library without newspapers, magazine, or books? Or that a library in Portugal supports a colony of bats to eat the moths and beetles that feed on the books? These questions, their answers, … Read more
Did you know that the peak age for psychological well-being is 82? That prune juice outsells orange juice in Miami? Or that 94% of Clemson faculty and staff remain in the immediate area after retirement? These questions, their answers, and a half-dozen pertinent cartoons are the subject of this Q and A presentation.
Most of us wish we could flesh our thoughts, experiences, and make-believe dreams into stories on paper. The art of theme, plotting and characterization come from understanding what makes for an intriguing read: tension, active voice, creative dialog. Learning how to mold a story concept, memoir or fiction, into a three-dimensional tale is empowering and … Read more
For Stories of Struggle I interviewed at least 150 Black activists while I worked as a journalist at The State and as director of a writing program at Columbia College. I wanted to preserve Black elders’ stories, and, through their stories, to reveal a true portrait of segregation in South Carolina. I believe in the … Read more
