I WAS STRUGGLING with my decision to leave my Amish-Mennonite world when I first discovered the author Chaim Potok. In the audio/visual section of the Stark County District Library, I spied what would become my favorite novel. My Name Is … [Read more...] about Chaim Potok: Creating An Emotional Blueprint for Those Who Leave
Tom Rickman: How NOT to write a screenplay
RECENTLY, I DISCOVERED I am the same age as Quentin Tarantino. Truly. There are so many similarities between us. For example, the year I turned 50, he turned 50. He used to run a video store, and I used to run to the video store. Before I moved to … [Read more...] about Tom Rickman: How NOT to write a screenplay
Memoir: Learning to Dance
IN AUGUST 1988, I flew out of Cleveland Hopkins Airport, bound for a year abroad on a Rotary Foundation Scholarship. At 24 years old, I was finishing my BA in English, history and education from a small evangelical Christian college in the … [Read more...] about Memoir: Learning to Dance
Thanks for Joining the Journey
Thanks so much for continuing to spread the word about this website. I encourage you to leave comments here and respond to the posts and podcasts that make you think. The whole concept of this virtual cafe, after all, is to encourage … [Read more...] about Thanks for Joining the Journey
Myrrl Byler: Why High School Teachers Are So Important
WE WERE 15 minutes into the root canal. The contraption inside my mouth, which isolated my back tooth, made it impossible to speak. Through a large headphone set, The Killers played in my ear. A rubber jam held my mouth open. I submitted to all … [Read more...] about Myrrl Byler: Why High School Teachers Are So Important
