At this year’s TEDxBoise, David Rush broke three Guinness World Records—his 98th, 99th, and 100th—on stage. The records, respectively, involved catching Ping-Pong balls with chopsticks; the very fast passing of a 20-pound weight between his left and right hand; and a mouthful of a hundred lit candles. It was mesmerizing, and I loved when David…
Articles from April 2019
The word: Purple
Last week I heard poet Terrance Hayes speak at Boise State about kindness, poetry, America, and the essential pleasure that comes from making things. The Stranger: Terrance The Word: Purple The poem I wrote: I have left my big housefor this small square.I have left my big officefor a single chair.I have shed bright color,purple, red,…
The word: Seed
Before a poem, a fable: Once upon a time the famous physicist Albert Einstein was confronted by an overly concerned woman who sought advice on how to raise her small son to become a successful scientist. In particular she wanted to know what kinds of books she should read to her son. “Fairy Tales,” Einstein responded without…
The word: Memories
Before the poem, news on a children’s book that my husband James Stead and I co-wrote, illustrated by talented artist April VanDeGrift! We Live in Boise is available now, and you can hear an NPR “Idaho Matters” interview about it here. Now, to the stranger: I met Beth at the house of a friend who cuts my family’s…