It started with the infamous doorbell ringing, which had the audience in hysterics. And it ended with a story of self-understanding and joyful laughter. In between, we laughed so hard that our stomachs hurt.

If you want to go to the beach, but a) it's fall now, and Lake Michigan is Very Cold; or b) you live far away from sunny climes, then I suggest listening to Colbie Caillat's new Malibu Sessions album. It was recorded over 2 months - get this: at a beach house, on the ocean in California. Yes, I love that, too. 

When we’re traveling, we often purchase holiday gifts – art, textiles, and creative things we find in markets. But when we’re home, it’s a bit more difficult to come through each year with fantastic gifts that our loved ones will appreciate – and use.

Every fall, approximately 10,000 tourists from around the world descend on “The Polar Bear Capital of the World,” Churchill, Manitoba. This community of about 800 people on Hudson Bay in Northern Canada is home to the annual migration of more than 1,000 hungry polar bears that pass through town as they wait for the Bay ice to return. The new Smithsonian Channel docu-series POLAR BEAR TOWN documents a season in Churchill, following this extraordinary migration of human and four-legged animals as they collide in unexpected and sometimes dangerous ways.

Maggie Burr is a DPhil candidate in Classical Archaeology at Oxford, where she spends her time trying to understand what ancient farmers did, and why. She grew up in Lexington, MA, Austin, TX, and Beverly, MA. 

“When every piece falls into place, it’s like a dance, a delicate but powerful balancing act. The art of holding on and letting go at the same time.”

Such is the beautiful writing in the winner of Elephant Rock Books’ 2016 Sheehan YA Book Prize, The Art of Holding On and Letting Go, by Kristin Lenz. A fellow Michigander, Lenz has written a powerful story of family, finding yourself, and growing up. 

Seeing trucks around town spray painted with giant-sized corn, steak, cheese, grapes, and apples I was intrigued by what they were carrying, especially with the tagline, “Local Provisions for Modern Domestic Living.” These trucks were my first real exposure to a CSA – or community-supported agriculture.

A new kind of 21st Century literary festival combining literature, the arts and interactive programming comes to Stratford next month, giving aspiring writers a chance to share their work with established authors and industry professionals.

Sam Parker is a 25 year old living in Philadelphia, and is currently in school to become an occupational therapist. She's passionate about travel, philly, yoga, anything Harry Potter, and her two fur babies Luna(tic) and Artemis(Chievous).