Apr 02 A child with autism can’t engage with the world if kept at home By Whitney Ellenby The burden begins with me, the parent of the autistic child, to disclose his disability. And then the burden shifts to you, the general public. Continue reading
Mar 26 Watch 3:03 Learning how to think about death changed how I live By John Leland Viewing death as unrelated to life, or antithetical it, does a disservice to the days we have, because we don’t know how to value them, says John Leland. The journalist and author explains how an elderly friend changed his perspective… Continue watching
Mar 26 Opinion: What a 91-year-old taught me about appreciating death By John Leland Every time I visited him he said he wanted to die. He wasn’t depressed or even sad – in fact, talking about dying always got him in a good mood. Wanting to die was the best reason to live. Continue reading
Mar 19 Watch 3:22 The power of your suffering is in how you tell your story By Aminatta Forna Writer Aminatta Forna is often asked if she was traumatized by personal tragedy and national turmoil. To Forna, the ability to shape your own narrative, rather than having others shape it for you, is ultimately what matters most; being told… Continue watching
Mar 12 Watch 3:05 How to retrain your shrinking attention span By PBS NewsHour What’s the secret to writing novels? Or baking a perfect cake? Or even being a good friend? Author Ann Patchett says it’s all about the ability to stay focused and stop multitasking. Patchett gives her humble opinion on stretching your… Continue watching
Mar 05 Watch 2:44 When someone does not expect greatness from you, here’s what to tell yourself By PBS NewsHour What does it do to black girls and women to have their intelligence and abilities routinely questioned? A study from Johns Hopkins found that white teachers set lower academic expectations for their black students than black teachers do. Acclaimed writer… Continue watching
Feb 26 Opinion: Too many children with toxic stress are being misdiagnosed By Dr. Nadine Burke Harris More than 34 million American children have had at least one adverse childhood experience like abuse or neglect. We need every medical professional in this country to be equipped with the right tools for universal screening. Continue reading
Feb 23 Watch 3:20 The devastating, underdiagnosed toll of toxic stress on children By Dr. Nadine Burke Harris When a child's flight-or-fight response is activated too often, from abuse, neglect or parental addiction, it can change the structure of a developing brain. It's called toxic stress, and pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris believes every medical professional in the country… Continue watching
Jan 26 Watch 4:24 Why writing my last will and testament called for an ice cream sundae By PBS NewsHour There will be some advantages to non-beingness, says Sheila Nevins: namely, avoiding the family squabbles after her death. The author and former president of HBO Documentary Films offers her humble opinion on preparing for the end of life, and finding… Continue watching
Jan 12 Watch 3:02 When the easiest way to feel safe is offering help to others By PBS NewsHour What does belonging mean to Akhil Sharma, an American who immigrated from India? Offering help to another opened him up to the realization that the world is greater than himself. Sharma, an award-winning novelist, professor at Rutgers University and New… Continue watching