Word of the Month – Propitious
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October 27, 2020

Propitious – adjective Likely to result in success, or showing signs of success (Cambridge) Favorably disposed: benevolent (Merriam-Webster) Being a good omen: auspicious (Merriam-Webster) Tending to favor: advantageous (Merriam-Webster) Presenting favorable conditions; favorable (Dictionary.com) Favorably inclined; disposed to bestow favors or forgive (Dictionary.com) “Propitious, which comes to us through Middle English from the Latin word propitius (same meaning as ‘propitious’), is a synonym of ‘favorable’… [Read More]

Word of the Month – Incongruous
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September 30, 2020

Incongruous – adjective Out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming (Dictionary.com) Not harmonious in character; inconsonant; lacking harmony of parts; inconsistent (Dictionary.com) Unusual or different from what is around or from what is generally happening (Cambridge) Appearing strange or wrong within a particular situation (Cambridge) Lacking congruity: such as not harmonious: incompatible not conforming: disagreeing inconsistent within itself lacking propriety: unsuitable (Merriam-Webster) “Incongruous is a… [Read More]

Human Connection is Universal – a Q and A with Therese Tappouni
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September 22, 2020

“Caught Between Worlds is a fantastic story set in Iraq in 1980 about a kidnapping—except instead of a kid, it’s his father who is taken hostage when war breaks out with Iran. Tom O’Hara’s father is taken by armed militants shortly after they move to Baghdad. Grieving the loss of his mother a year ago, Tom relies on his memories of her, an anthropology professor, and… [Read More]

New Release – Who Gets In and Why by Jeffrey Selingo
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September 15, 2020

When Jill Swenson consulted with Jeff Selingo on his new book proposal two years ago, no one could have imagined a college admissions bribery scandal involving Hollywood celebrities would unfold. Or that a global pandemic would fundamentally alter the higher education landscape for students and their parents. Jeff Selingo’s book, Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, will be released on September 15. From… [Read More]

Word of the Month – Colloquial
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August 18, 2020

Colloquial – adjective Characteristic of or appropriate to ordinary or familiar conversation rather than formal speech or writing; informal (Dictionary.com) Using conversational style (Merriam-Webster) (Of words and expressions) Informal and more suitable for use in speech than in writing (Cambridge) “The noun colloquy was first used in English to refer to a conversation or dialogue, and when the adjective colloquial was formed from colloquy it… [Read More]

Building a Better Brand – a Q and A with Margot Bloomstein
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August 11, 2020

For nearly 20 years, Margot Bloomstein has shaped the content strategy industry. She’s the author of Content Strategy at Work: Real-World Stories to Strengthen Every Interactive Project (Morgan Kaufmann, 2012) and the principal of Appropriate, Inc., a brand and content strategy consultancy based in Boston. Bloomstein developed the message architecture-driven approach to content strategy now popular with many practitioners. Recognized in 2015 as one of Boston’s… [Read More]

Caught Between Worlds by Therese Tappouni
by,
August 4, 2020

“Caught Between Worlds is a fantastic story set in Iraq in 1980 about a kidnapping—except instead of a kid, it’s his father who is taken hostage when war breaks out with Iran. Tom O’Hara’s father is taken by armed militants shortly after they move to Baghdad. Grieving the loss of his mother a year ago, Tom relies on his memories of her, an anthropology professor,… [Read More]

Word of the Month – Denouement
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July 28, 2020

Denouement – noun The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work (Merriam-Webster) The outcome of a complex sequence of events (Merriam-Webster) The end of a story, in which everything is explained, or the end result of a situation (Cambridge) “The denouement is the final outcome of the story, generally occurring after the climax of the plot. Often it’s where all the… [Read More]

Racism and the Failures of the U.S. Constitution
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June 9, 2020

In a recent article published by The Good Men Project, David Madden decodes the military jargon “battle space” as the killing fields and suggests the military rhetoric provides a pretext for delaying or cancelling the November election.  “It is not enough that the Trump government bungled the pandemic and directly caused the deaths of over a hundred thousand Americans. It is not enough that the… [Read More]

Releasing a Book During a Pandemic – an Interview with Chelsea Hanson
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May 5, 2020

After the unexpected loss of a loved one, it is difficult to know where to turn for help and what to do next, and healing can feel like something out of reach. The Sudden Loss Survival Guide: Seven Essential Practices for Healing Grief by Chelsea Hanson provides an indispensable road map to aid those who’ve experienced a life-changing loss. While you cannot control losing a… [Read More]