WROTE

I did a piece about an artist who used to play professional football-- Baron Batch. Fascinating conversation about career paths, callings, being in the moment, and creating legacy.  Who would view shredding one's ACL as a magical moment? This man: 

Former Steelers RB Baron Batch: Shredding my ACL was a perfect, magical moment


READ


Are you angry, resentful, critical? Do you live with someone who is? Dr. Margaret Rutherford wrote a great article for Good Men Project about people who need to be right. 

Do you Fight to be Right? 5 Reason Why You Might

Touching & courageous NYT article about one woman's experience with stillbirth, a relatively common tragedy that is rarely discussed. 

After a stillbirth, a silent delivery room

WROTE

Here are a few of the pieces I wrote last week:

Why we all need to mourn Kalief Browder, The Good Men Project, 6/10/2015.
Tragic story- held at Rikers Island for three years without a trial under horrific conditions. He was recently released committed suicide last week. NYC Mayor De Blasio called it a "culture of delay," but it is so much more than that. 

Mom and sons conquer the Incline, The Good Men Project, 6/13/2015.
Excerpt: 
"I fantasize about getting in my car and driving 26 hours back to Maryland. I hate Colorado. I hate it even more when the floods hit a few months later. Then, I experience my first polar vortex, temps of 17 below that transform my town into a cryo-chamber."

Introducing the new sport of dog parking, Crooked Scoreboard, 6/12/2015.
I don't like to lose, and I don't like my dogs to lose either. I invented a sport-- dog parking-- and described how to keep score. 
Excerpt: "Running from dog butt to dog butt like it's the first time you've ever encountered another dog is not suave. Don't be desperate."

I also wrote a piece called Don't call me strong for Huffington Post.  

READ


If you hate punctuation rules, or really like articles about the English language, you'll enjoy Cormac McCarthy's take on punctuation found here:
Cormac McCarthy's Three Punctuation Rules, and How They all Go Back to James Joyce, Open Culture, 8/13/13.


This is a "watched" not "read," but it was definitely impactful. If you are somewhere you can sob freely, I suggest you watch it.  It's the story of Denali, a dog, told from his perspective.


ABOUT TO READ AND WRITE


Finishing Erik Larsen's Dead Wake is high on my list since I started it such a long time ago. Great read so far, I've just been reading more articles than books lately.

I have too many pieces planned for this week than I can reasonably write, but I hope to do something about going to concerts with my dad, and another one for TWLOHA for PTSD awareness month.  And, of course, lots of Steelers news for Behind the Steel Curtain.

WROTE 


Interacted with some really inspiring people this week. 

First, I wrote a story about Steelers fans in Mexico. Imagine soccer-level enthusiasm for American football. The most fascinating aspect for me was how much emotion and passion they have for their team, and how watching football isn't just about the plays and the final score, but intangible qualities the team represents (hard work, perseverance, heart, etc). Was a gift to interact with this group of passionate people.

Check out the story here: Steelers World: Fans in Mexico Bleed Black and Gold

Second, I had the honor of interviewing former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch. I already knew some about his foundation, but they way he transformed tragedy into redemption and hope for his hometown was incredibly inspiring. There are two parts in this series so far, the second installment links back to the first, so check them both out on Behind the Steel Curtain.


I also did my first entry on my Huffington Post blog. Breaking Free of Silence and Shame. Second entry on institutionalized rape culture should be up sometime this week.



READ

I am a huge fan of David Morris, the author of the The Evil Hours, the best book on PTSD out there. I try to read everything he writes (even if it is about surfing). If you haven't read The Evil Hours, you owe it to yourself and society at large. By far my favorite book (not just my favorite book about PTSD, my favorite book ever)-- thorough, compassionate, human, informative. Excellent. 

This week, I read Morris' article on drone operators and PTSD. Morris does a masterful job describing aspects of PTSD that are often neglected, ignored, or misunderstood. 

Check it out on Foreign Policy: Can Drone Operators Get PTSD? 



ON MY SHELF

I have more than one shelf of books in my house, but I was noticing the odd assortment on this particular shelf while I was dusting off R2D2 (he's also on the shelf). And while I'm at it, how about I say "shelf" one more time. 

Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker-- I would have thought this book was BS had someone given it to me last year, but it is both informative, interesting, and helpful. I'll probably do a review of this at a later date. 

How to Teach your Dog to Talk by Captain Haggerty-- Basic dog training book with a catchy name. Was given to me as a gift after I wondered aloud one too many times if I could teach Ajax and Comet to talk. And the answer is, no, dogs can't talk, though they can make talking-ish sounds. If my dogs could talk, I know they'd apologize for leaving the yard today. 

The Best of McSweeney's edited by Dave Eggers and Jordan Bass-- Haven't picked this one up in a while, but $8.00 for over 600 pages of comics and short stories was an excellent value. I'm a huge fan of McSweeney's Internet Tendency. Awesome humor writing.

Staff Meals from Chanterelle by David Waltuck
Chef David Waltuck prepares meals for his staff before the big dinner rush at his New York City restaurant. Recipes are reliable and accessible (not pretentious or expensive to prepare).