Our 3rd Teen Story Slam was AMAZING
A year ago, a few writers and I tried something daring. We asked local teens to come out and read something they’d written to a live audience. It could be a poem, a confession, a chapter from a novel in progress, or a short story. Our only rules: Five minutes of reading, PG content only. We […]
Teen Story Slam is back! Write a story, read it aloud, get a prize
The teen writers asked for it, so we’re bringing it back! On October 25, 2017, the Teen Story Slam returns to Westside Pizza! Teen creative writers in grades 7-12 are invited to step up to the mic to read their own prose for 5 minutes. Anything goes: a short story, a scene from their novel […]
How Sharing Stories Helps Kids (To Help Other Kids)
Please read my latest article on Huffington Post: storybooth: How Sharing Stories Helps Kids (To Help Other Kids) Seventh-grade student Carissa carried a painful memory around with her, but it wasn’t a secret. There were plenty of kids who witnessed (her now ex) boyfriend humiliate and verbally abuse her in the hallway at school. While the […]
Five ways Parents can Help Prevent Cyberbullying
Please read my latest article on Huffington Post: Five ways Parents can Help Prevent Cyberbullying It’s difficult for parents to know if their teen is a victim of cyberbullying. Many teens choose not to tell, worried their device will be taken away. Instead, your daughter might complain of “drama at school.” Or maybe your son feels […]
Teens, Music & The Sober Curious Movement
Please read my latest article on Huffington Post: Is the Sober Curious Movement the End of Teen Binge Drinking? Created by JAVI_INDY – Freepik.com For many teens, social activities never stop. With a smart device in hand, texts, posts, likes and shares are vital components of modern peer interaction. Parents often complain of adolescents glued to […]
Worried About Your Teen Getting Into College? Consider Music Lessons
Secondary students who participated in a music group at school reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs)
Teen Story Slam 2016 is coming!
On Bainbridge Island, we have a wonderful bi-annual celebration of storytelling called Story Slam. Held at a local restaurant, The Treehouse Cafe, friends and neighbors dare to take the stage to tell a 5-minute true story, without props. Random judges chosen from the always-packed-to-the-rafters audience tally scores to determine three winners. The stories are always memorable; funny, […]
Teens can Improve Creativity, Relieve Anxiety by Meditating
Please read my latest contribution to Huffington Post! Teens can Improve Creativity, Relieve Anxiety by Meditating creative thinking with our neocortex, the part of the brain that is concerned with problem solving, visioning, hypothesizing, and strategizing. Meditation can have profound effects on the neocortex. Blogger Branain Radcliffe shows how meditation boosts your creativity and focus in seven specific […]
