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Literature and writing ×
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Ypsi-based program partners with formerly incarcerated writers to help youth heal through creativity

Concentrate

Sarah Rigg

HUB MEMBER

16 October 2019

Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States

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800-1500 Words

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Telling It, a Ypsilanti, Michigan based organization, uses creative writing, spoken word, and other forms of self-expression as a method of healing and mental health care for area youth. It hires people with similar l...

Sacred Conversations: This Battle Creek book group tackles race and healing through words and action

Second Wave Michigan

Jane Simons

10 October 2019

Battle Creek, Michigan, United States

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1500-3000 Words

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A very special 15-person book club in Battle Creek, Michigan is using the book club format to discuss hard topics like race. The conversations steer profound, intimate, and personal, and many members testify to how mu...

An imaginative space that helps kids believe in stories – and themselves

The Christian Science Monitor

Simon Montlake

29 July 2019

Rotherham, England

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800-1500 Words

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Grimm & Co.'s Apothecary to the Magical is boosting child literacy skills in a former steel and coal town with a large low-income population. By offering an imaginative space and free writing workshops, the nonprofit ...

Purpose-driven publisher writes new chapter of Brazilian literature

Pioneers Post

Pedro Lira

26 July 2019

Brazil

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800-1500 Words

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Promoting more diverse and inclusive narratives takes a publisher interested more in social purpose than profits. Vira Letra, and independent publisher in Brazil, has employed a cost and profit-sharing business model ...

A Public Library Brings Opportunity to the Blind

The Atlantic

Deborah Fallows

29 June 2019

New York City, New York, United States

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800-1500 Words

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The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library is a branch of the New York Public Library system that offers a wide array of services for vision-impaired adults and children. They hold the largest physical colle...

How one school is getting kids fired up about climate solutions

Grist

Zoe Sayler

HUB MEMBER

20 June 2019

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

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800-1500 Words

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At Lowell School in Washington D.C., lessons about climate change don't just appear in science class, but also in most humanities courses. Cognizant of the stress this places on young students, the school has worked w...

She Uses Twitter to Bring New Voices of Color to the Literary World

OZY

Mariela Santos

28 May 2019

Brooklyn, New York, United States

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800-1500 Words

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When authors from traditionally marginalized communities can’t find space in the industry, they make their own. Using Twitter as a platform and safe space for authors having trouble getting into the literary world, #D...

Barber pays kids to read a book during haircut to boost literacy, confidence

KUSA-TV

Megan Yoder

22 April 2019

Kutztown, Pennsylvania, United States

Broadcast TV News

3-5 Minutes

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City Cuts is a special barbershop in Kutztown, PA that, in addition to being a barbershop, is simultaneously running an internationally-acclaimed literacy program for kids. Barber Jon Escueta gives young clients $3 to...

For Refugee Children, Reading Helps Heal Trauma

The New York Times

Rachel Cernansky

17 April 2019

Zaatari, Mafraq Governorate, Jordan

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1500-3000 Words

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We Love Reading, an organization backed by UNICEF and USAID, works with all of Jordan's Syrian refugee camps and one of Ethiopia's South Sudanese camps to use storytelling as a tool for psychological healing. It start...

In the Aftermath of Civil War, a Writing Workshop Aims for Peace

Literary Hub

Sarah Hoenicke

9 April 2019

Jaffna, Sri Lanka

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Over 3000 Words

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The Sri Lankan Civil War lasted from 1983 to 2009 and bitterly divided the country into two sides between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Years later in 2012, a literary program cal...

How community library is serving an under-served Lagos community

EduCeleb

Abdussalam Amoo

HUB MEMBER

17 January 2019

Ojokoro, Lagos, Nigeria

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800-1500 Words

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A community library built in Lagos, Nigeria by a nonprofit called Pyramid Educational Advancement (PEA) is filling a literacy gap in the area due to the low number of government-owned public libraries. Aside from simp...

The Little Libraries Bringing Books into People's Homes

BBC

Susila Silva

25 December 2018

Wisconsin, United States

Radio

Over 15 Minutes

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Around the world, people are putting out Little Free Libraries—a small birdhouse like box for people to take, leave, or swap books. These libraries have helped create easy access to book ownership and reading as well ...

Using Young Adult Novels to Make Sense of #MeToo

The New York Times

Julia Jacobs

12 September 2018

United States

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800-1500 Words

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Speak, a young adult novel that grapples with sexual violence, was heralded for its unflinching honesty. Now, in the wake of the #MeToo era, librarians and educators are “ turning to fiction to help teenagers understa...

You Can Now Read Literary Classics on New York Public LIbrary's Instagram

CityLab

Linda Poon

23 August 2018

New York, New York, United States

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Under 800 Words

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The New York Public Library Insta Novels program makes public domain works available to be read on Instagram. Featuring engaging artwork and a user friendly format, Insta Novels make literature available to users with...

Cleveland uses literature to empower youth, overcome social divides

The Christian Science Monitor

Christopher Johnston

HUB MEMBER

9 July 2018

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

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1500-3000 Words

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Cleveland has been quietly building a network of book clubs, libraries, and empowerment groups "using literature to empower marginalized groups, foster economic dynamism, and bridge social divides." From workplace and...

Berlin's first Arabic-language public library aims to redefine refugee integration

Public Radio International (PRI)

Anna Lekas Miller

6 July 2018

Berlin, Germany

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800-1500 Words

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In Germany, where the political ramifications of more liberal refugee policies are becoming known, the city of Berlin has become home to an "Arabic-language literary and cultural center," housed in a public library. T...

Getting books from the U.S. feeds these students' love of reading

PBS NewsHour

Fred de Sam Lazaro

7 June 2018

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Broadcast TV News

Under 800 Words

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An organization called Books for Africa collects donations of books from all over the country to send to schools in Rwanda. Books for Africa has sent over 41 million books over the past 30 years to 53 different countr...

Diversity In Publishing: Still Hideously Middle-Class and White?

The Guardian

Arifa Akbar

9 December 2017

England

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1500-3000 Words

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Many initiatives have been implemented to increase the diversity of British literary culture efforts such as establishing new publishing imprints, pairing writers with agents and editors, and providing paid internship...

How white parents are addressing racism – by reading to their children

The Christian Science Monitor

Christa Case Bryant

HUB MEMBER

29 November 2017

St. Louis, Missouri, United States

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800-1500 Words

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St. Louis-based We Stories provides parents with a course curriculum and reading list for the children with the goal of sparking conversations about race, oppression, and cultural awareness. The target audience of the...

Urban Planner Turned Poet Maps Seattle's Story

Next City

Josh Cohen

5 July 2017

Seattle, Washington, United States

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Under 800 Words

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Through poetry, Seattle's Civic Poet collected the stories, observations, and creativity of past and present residents. These poems were entered into a Poetic Grid, an online interface that connected the writing on a ...

Off the Shelf

The Big Issue

Christine Ro

HUB MEMBER

14 July 2016

Copenhagen, Denmark

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800-1500 Words

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The first Human Library emerged in 2000 in Copenhagen, and has since exploded in popularity to the point of operating chapters in more than 70 different countries. The concept is that readers should not judge a book b...

Reading, writing and results in Binghamton classrooms

Press & Sun-Bulletin

John R. Roby

4 June 2016

Binghamton, New York, United States

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Over 3000 Words

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Literacy rates can be a problem, especially in low-income school districts. Amid a years-in-the-making revision of literacy instruction, the Binghamton school district is seeing a payoff.

Summer Reading: How to Shake Up the Status Quo

The New York Times

David Bornstein

HUB MEMBER

10 July 2013

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

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Social innovation rarely comes from “eureka” moments; it’s much more deliberate - it’s something that can be studied and learned. A short summer reading list for anyone interested in shaking up the status quo.

Seniors Flex Creative Muscles In Retirement Arts Colonies

NPR

Ina Jaffe

5 July 2013

Los Angeles, California, United States

Radio

3-5 Minutes

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Dissatisfied with the opportunities for residents of assisted living facilities to engage in creative pursuits, Tim Carpenter developed senior ‘art colonies’ that provided writing, performance, and visual arts classes...

From Young Adult Book Fans to Wizards of Change

The New York Times

Courtney E. Martin

HUB MEMBER

21 March 2012

Los Angeles, California, United States

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1500-3000 Words

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Global social and economic problems are difficult to change. However, fan-activism fuels the interests of fans of popular young adult fiction. Books such as Harry Potter and the Hunger Games have inspired activist gro...

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