Literary agents play an essential role in the world of publishing, providing a bridge between authors and publishing houses. I have all the respect in the world for the talented literary agents who turn writers’ dreams into tangible realities. But, while they have proven to be indispensable for many, some authors choose to forgo an…

As inconvenient as it can be, it makes a great difference to sometimes retreat from the ways of the world to find greater clarity. Only when you turn off the noise and tune in to the rhythms of nature around you can you realize who you are meant to be all along. Prudence is a…

Years ago, a friend of mine and I discussed an important idea about human relationships. He argued that we should focus on where we agree with others, rather than where we disagree. This struck me as a good concept to ponder further. Eventually, my thoughts on the matter grew into what became this essay. Basically,…

Humans are stubborn, willful little creatures. We’re relentlessly determined to understand the nature of, well, everything. But as much as we act like cosmic detectives, we don’t have the skill, the right tools, or even a faint idea of what the mystery is we’re trying to solve. Sure, we can keep pretending we can wrap…

As Charles Schulz once said, “Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.” This brilliant observation sums up so much of the human condition. We’re all equipped with potential, yet most of us coast along, our metaphorical legs doing the bare minimum while we let life roll downhill. Of…

When I was knee-deep in the digital marketing swamp, I thought I could keep up with it all—knowledge, trends, my inbox, you name it. My goal was to become some kind of 21st-century renaissance woman who would become one of the expected heroes of the information age. Yeah, I was dead wrong about that. It…

Recently, Emily Slatin and her friends Luke and Lucas from the YouTube channel Luke Explores checked out the now long-abandoned I-86 Diner in Parksville, New York. It’s a relic of the grand tradition of American dining—one of many across the nation buried beneath the weight of greasy takeout bags and UberEats orders. Thanks to what…