Which Writing Style Should You Choose in 2021?

Mar 25, 2021 | Writing

I recently discussed the Oxford comma and Singular they. Both these are typical examples of style in writing. That is, there is no right or wrong answer concerning their use; it all depends on personal preference. So does the question of the writing style you choose:...

3 Tips To Be More Productive After Work

Mar 23, 2021 | Writing

Between the restless 5-year-old and my SEO copywriting, I haven’t done much fiction writing in ages. That’s why this guest post by Tracie Johnson appealed to me. Tracie is a New Jersey native and an alum of Penn State University. She is passionate about writing,...

The Dancing Plague of 1518

Mar 21, 2021 | Fun Historical Facts, Quora

Vitmor Gomes recently shared on Quora one of the most fascinating Medieval stories I’ve heard: the dancing plague of 1518. In July 1518, in the town of Strasbourg, Alsace (now France), something unexpected happened. A housewife, called Frau Troffea, came out of...

The Oxford Comma

Mar 19, 2021 | Entertainment, Writing

I mentioned the Oxford comma recently in a conversation with Stefan. In case you haven’t heard of it, here is the definition, courtesy of Grammarly: The Oxford (or serial) comma is the final comma in a list of things. For example: Please bring me a pencil,...

The Epicene Pronoun and Singular They

Mar 17, 2021 | Quora, Writing

Back in 2016, I had written about the appeal and long history of singular they. I recently found myself referring to this old post on Quora, during an argument with someone who claimed its use was a mistake. “Singular they” is a so-called epicene pronoun:...

The “Lunar Ark” Project

Mar 15, 2021 | Fun Historical Facts

Tibi Puiu of ZME Science recently presented a backup plan in case we screw up this planet for good: a “Lunar ark” that would store DNA from millions of species in Moon’s lava tubes. The project, first described in a paper presented by researchers at the...

Kids and Poetry

Mar 12, 2021 | Entertainment, Writing

I was reading an interesting post on the Washington Post on why kids need poetry in their lives, and how to spark their interest in it. The author, Jason Basa Nemec, was explaining how he was reading Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb” to his...

Unsung Heroines: Susie King Taylor

Mar 9, 2021 | Fun Historical Facts, Quora

In honor of Women’s Day, I thought I’d share with you the story of Susie King Taylor as told on Quora by Karin Muller. Susie King Taylor Every day at 9 am, Susie King Taylor and her brother would walk the half a mile to the small schoolhouse, their books...

Viking Ulfberht Swords

Mar 7, 2021 | Fun Historical Facts

When we think of Vikings, our minds don’t normally conjure a picture of a miner. So where did the Vikings (and others) get the iron ore to forge their tools and weapons? As Mats Andersson says on Quora, they literally fished it out of bogs. Bog Iron As Wikipedia...

Surprisingly Progressive Pirates

Mar 5, 2021 | Fun Historical Facts

As a kid, when I thought of pirates I dreamed of absolute freedom with plenty of swashbuckling. When I grew up, I realized that pirates were bloodthirsty savages who deserved to be strung for their unforgivable crimes against countless civilians. So terrible was their...