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New stories you’ll love, handpicked for you by our team and updated daily.
A North-Woman Journeys the American South — Haunted, Historic, Romantic; Delicious, Wild, Civilized
Your country can satisfy a foreigner's wanderlust. Why not yours? Every time you leave your country, you learn more about the nation from which you came. But every time you travel within your country, you learn more about what you don't know.
Savanna Rain UlandPublished about 17 hours ago in Wander
The proud lineage of Johan Cruyff's radical ideology that redefined football
The theories that Cruyff espoused with such stunning effect in Barcelona had their roots in the first international played by Scotland and England in Partick in 1872, a century ago. Undoubtedly, he was a radical, but he was a radical who understood that he was a part of a great lineage.
Booster Brat
The year was 1999, and three dollars was all it cost to buy a kid a ticket to another world. That ticket came in the form of shiny plastic foil wrapped around 11 pieces of cardboard: a Pokemon Trading Card Game Booster Pack. When my parents handed me that first pack, purchased from the game store in the local mall, I don’t think they knew it was a one way ticket. I never left that world of trading cards again, at least not wholly. I was changed by what I found there. Their old son never came back.
Daniel GarvinPublished about 19 hours ago in GeeksThe sun rose and I flew to the birds
When I was first craving words to describe my queer identity, I was obsessed with birds. The birds didn't need words and I didn't want them either. I was working in the engine room onboard a research ship, and we wouldn't return to land for thirty to fifty days at a time. As I struggled to break from the ideas of myself as man that I had adopted over the course of my young life I fell down Google holes trying to find a way to present my body to the world. I longed to dissolve into salt-entrained air with the albatrosses.
The Light of History
Memories and flashbacks are scattered on the floor As images of the present barricade the door. I stare at the ceiling into stars of the future kind
Patrick O'ConnorPublished about 19 hours ago in Poets
The Strawberry moon has nothing to do with color
Get your telescopes ready because the heavens are about to provide yet another spectacular feat. A strawberry moon is coming but you might be surprised at how this name originated. Many times we pass names, phrases, and slogans down through the generations without ever knowing the origin. The night sky has been revealing many wonders to those of us on the earth. From a lunar eclipse to a partial solar eclipse to supermoons, 2021 been an unusual year for lunar events.The month of June marks the year's final supermoon, with a full "strawberry" moon that will illuminate next week’s night sky.
Cheryl E PrestonPublished 2 days ago in Earth
Heights of embarrassment
Between the ages of 16 and 17, I grew by about six inches until I was the tallest student in my high school, not just the tallest girl, the tallest STUDENT period.
Shirley TwistPublished 3 days ago in Confessions
10 Texts from my Dad That Should Be Immortalized in a Dad Museum
This is my Dad. That little sliver of face in the corner? That would be me. My Dad and I have been co-conspirators pretty much since the moment I was born. Our relationship largely consists of humor and fake-jabs at each other on the surface, but just underneath, there's a lot of care and concern for one another; that kill-for-you-die-for-you sentiment that many parents and children share.
Aiden Graham ColePublished 3 days ago in Families
My Transgender Son Has No ‘Dead Name’
A dead name is a term that some within the transgender community use when referring to their birth name. As a parent of a transgender young adult, I’ve never been a fan of this term. It feels laced with morbidity, despair, and foreboding.
Celebrating Juneteenth: 13 Stories from Black Vocal Creators
In a world often starved for good news, one headline on Thursday offered cause for celebration. After passing through the U.S. Congress earlier in the week, a bill was signed into law by President Biden making June 19th, colloquially referred to as "Juneteenth," a federal holiday.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 4 days ago in Resources
History of Juneteenth
June Nineteenth, or Juneteenth, marks the celebration of the emancipation of African-American slaves in Texas in 1865. While the annual celebration started in Texas the following year in 1866 — and became an official Texas state holiday there in 1980 — this formerly obscure holiday is now observed across the United States and around the world. Yesterday, Congress and the President made it an official federal holiday. It is celebrated with church-centered celebrations, parades, fairs, backyard parties, games, contests, and cookouts.
Bill PetroPublished 4 days ago in FYI
Why Woodpeckers do not get Brain Damage
Have you ever wondered how a woodpecker can pound away at the bark or disturb a tin roof without injuring themselves? After all, the force of their peck exceeds the force of gravity by a factor of a thousand! To avoid harm during its pecking frenzy, the woodpecker has developed in a rather unusual way. I want to go through the build of the woodpecker that allows it to function and thrive in such exceptional circumstances.
People! Just say Something!Published 4 days ago in FYI
Dominicanidad
Author’s Note: I wrote this piece for Latinx/Hispanic heritage month in honor of my true feelings toward my latinidad and Dominicanidad. I hope that people with similar experiences can realize that they’re not alone.
Jay CorderoPublished 5 days ago in HumansWhat is Fika? A simple guide to this Swedish coffee ritual
The best solutions will be found through loving thoughts and perhaps a good cup of coffee. - Jen Vondenbrink Sometimes even the finest translators come up against words that defy translation. While we try our best, some translations can never quite match the significance and sentiment captured by a foreign culture. For instance, Google translate will tell you quite succinctly that fika is the Swedish translation of ‘have coffee’, but in truth this little four-letter word describes a ritual, an experience, an attitude and a state-of-mind that above all cherishes human connection.
Jacynta ClaytonPublished 5 days ago in Feast
Blue-Throated Macaws: A Rediscovered Species
I often think about how large the world is and how little we know about it. The critically endangered Blue-Throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis), found only in Bolivia, is a beautiful macaw from hot, humid lowlands prone to regular flooding. For some years, it was thought to be extinct. Or, perhaps, it was thought not to exist at all.
Amethyst QuPublished 5 days ago in Earth
The Free Wine Fountain in Italy
Have you ever walked past a fountain and wished for the water to come out as something else? Imagine a fountain that drenches your thirst with freshly squeezed lemonade or refills your pints with draft beer. A town in Italy has something that many of us can only dream of; a fountain filled with Italian red wine!
People! Just say Something!Published 5 days ago in ProofThe Other F-Word
A fail is one of life’s greatest teachers. I like to read about failure. I like learning about the lessons people took away from failure. Experiencing failure? Not so much.
JaynaPublished 5 days ago in MotivationWhy I Quit Working in a Not-Quite-Right Job Past its Use-By Date
Being a barista, wearing a face mask, and standing on your feet is no easy feat; also while making sure the milk does not overheat, and the hopper grinds the right amount of coffee beans for a 30ml espresso shot.
Justine CrowleyPublished 5 days ago in Motivation
When Your Tribe Is - Not Belonging
I belong to nowhere. This realization came to me when I was living in London, United Kingdom. I had managed to save up enough holidays to make a month-long trip back to India. I excitedly told my colleague - 'I am going home.' He looked surprised and said, 'Well, you do that every day.' And that's when I realized that home to me had many meanings, unlike other people. And a little bit of introspection, and I realized I had a PhD in not fitting in.
Anu SundaramPublished 5 days ago in Confessions
Strong, Independent Woman
Note from the Author: To be completely honest, this is my sixth entry for the Members-Only Challenge. This contest has sparked something in me that I can hardly contain; which means I am also having trouble containing my thoughts. Every piece I write gets closer and closer to what I’m really trying to say, but it’s such a grand topic to cover in less than five thousand words. This time, though, I will focus my thoughts, feelings and desires, so that I can share with you the dream in my heart.
Maeple FourestPublished 6 days ago in Motivation
