When I was eight years old, my family moved to Friendship, Tennessee, a town with a population of about 650 people. Having lived in Des Moines, Iowa, for most of my life, the only appeal of moving south was that my mom had a cousin in the area. I remember my surprise that a place so small could feel so loud. September was the month we moved, and even though the trees shed their covering earlier than normal that year, it still felt warm.
Read MoreDon’t let the summer fun end once 731Day passes! August is full of one-of-a-kind entertainment and so many opportunities to support local non-profits in special ways. Check out our top event suggestions.
Read MoreAt the end of every school year, I have my students create a portfolio of different types of original poetry. I’d like to think I do it in order to foster their creativity, but it’s really because I’m too lazy to grade eighty-four final exams. Either way, it’s a win/win for all of us: they get to write sonnets and pretend that they’re actually writing their first rap hit, and I get to sit back and not grade bubbled-in answer documents. One poem they always struggle with is an elegy.
Read MoreThere’s something inherently special about a concert in someone’s yard. It’s personal because you’re visiting a person’s home, and yet it’s public because the music is for anyone to hear. Music sounds so free outside—there’s no high ceilings to provide good acoustics, just the blue sky above. The concert venue isn’t a building; it’s a neighbor’s porch or a friend’s front lawn. As the summer sun begins to set behind the vibrant green treetops, a cool breeze gives the concert attendees some relief, and the band plays a brand new song for the first time. This is Porchfest.
Read MoreJuly is by far one of our favorite times of the year with 731Day on its way, but there’s so much more leading up to that beloved end-of-summer event! Check out all the laughs, music, and other fun in store for this month.
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