On Wednesday, I went to 38th and Chicago, where George Floyd was killed by police Monday night. Yesterday, I returned with a bare studio kit, set up on the sidewalk and asked a simple question: “What do you want to say?” The memorial on the sidewalk had grown since the day before. The street was now covered in messages of grief, determination and hope. A mural of George was being painted on a wall. Cars blocked the streets. Families brought […]

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I kept my phone off yesterday. It was a writing day and I’ve been struggling to stay separated from the headlines. Just before dinner, I decided to scroll through social media and saw the news of George Floyd. In Minneapolis. 11.6 miles from my home. I was tired. From a long day. From the steady stream painful news. From social distancing. I thought about turning my phone back off again. I didn’t know what to say. Words have been hard […]

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Our third book is on its way! The wheels of the book publishing world turn slowly and I want to share a little bit about the journey of how we got to this point. My first two books were self-published, which comes with the blessing of being able to control everything, as well as the curse of having to control everything. I’ve been fortunate to work in publishing for years, so I am surrounded by a good crew of editors […]

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  I hope you all are doing well in this new world. I know a lot of you are out of work. You are feeling restless. Figuring out how to work remotely while you juggle three kids in a distance learning home. I know that some of you have missed the chance to say goodbye to loved ones. You’ve only seen your newborn grandchild on Facetime and you haven’t yet felt the warmth of their baby breath on your neck. […]

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It’s a fragile web we live on. And now it’s been jostled. In a span of 48 hours this week, my entire month of work unraveled. A college eliminated an engagement as they suspended classes. A conference and rally in DC was cancelled because the participants have compromised immune systems and couldn’t risk exposure. The same thing has happened to my son, who is a concert lighting designer. And my friend who is a musician. And my agent who books […]

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What can an ally do? I’m the poster child of privilege. That much should be clear to anyone who meets me. Straight white guy from the suburbs. College educated in middle America, middle-aged living a middle-class life. Married to my college girlfriend for 29 years, 2.0 kids and a cocker spaniel in a 1960s split level. My notion of peace has always been communal. As Dr. King reminded us, “None of us is free until all of us are free.” […]

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When have you found unexpected courage? It’s one of the questions we asked students last week during our residency at the Honors College at Rutgers University.  As the students explored our American Stories exhibit, they met some of the more challenging stories with wonder. “I don’t think I could have done that,” one young man said when he read the story of how Bud Welch forgave his daughter’s killer. “That seems almost impossible,” another said about Deanna Thompson reckoning with […]

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