The shock hits first; the grief, second. The shock I could handle. I’d experienced that before. Adrenaline was easy once there are pre-programmed responses, once a body has experienced a situation a few times. Hitting the waves isn’t too bad after that. I took care of my responsibilities, contacting the people who needed to know… Read More Emblem of Our House: Villain
Three years ago, at age 55, Terry Fox stepped into her very own house. She hadn’t thought it was possible. She’d always wanted a home, especially after growing up in the housing projects of Coney Island. “It just seemed like people in houses were more stable and happier and better adjusted,” she explained. “It’s like… Read More Houses and homes
They created their pieces for six months. Chris Swasta, a potter, and Hannah Genevieve Lawrence, a macrame artist, took the first three months to create on their own, then they spent the rest of the time weaving their work together. They’d been approached by Amanda Seevers, the Director of Communications at Thea Foundation last fall, and… Read More Chris Swasta: “Keep making.”
With the exhibit scheduled for April 3 quickly approaching, Hannah Genevieve Lawrence worked long hours to get her macramé pieces completed. It was an exciting opportunity to collaborate with another local artist, Chris Swasta, and show their combined work at the Thea Foundation. Then the pandemic hit. She creates under Strands Textiles, and she describes… Read More Hannah Genevieve Lawrence: “I just really want to connect with friends and family more.”
There is quite the mixture of love and fear mixed into most of my memories. There’s the day I was so excited for the princess party that my mom had planned. We had princess outfits and a pig made from meatloaf. We were real princesses. I remember our friends starting to arrive, and then I… Read More Emblem of Our House: Aquarium
A hurricane set Brandy Mimms on the path towards a dancing career. Brandy, a professional deaf dancer who goes by Unique the Deaf Dancer, owns her own dance company, Listen With Your Eyes Dance Troupe, and teaches dance at Southwest Community Center in Little Rock. But before Little Rock, before earning her degree in 2019… Read More Brandy Mimms: “Start doing the simplest thing.”
The week of her death, I was already struggling with my faith. I’d had questions for a long time. I’d gone through the motions of church for a while. Suddenly, I was 30, then 31, and I felt pretty damaged. I was divorced. I couldn’t get rid of the extra weight I’d packed on during… Read More Emblem of Our House: Faith
I spent the summer between my freshman and sophomore years at college. I’d gotten a job in the admissions office for the evening programs, geared towards folks with 9-5 commitments. I wasn’t very good at calling people, and I rarely got anyone on the phone, but it was a job, and, by that point, there… Read More Emblem of Our House: Car
The guilt could kill me if I let it. The first overwhelming crush of guilt came for me when I was 18. I’d left home forever, traveling 2,000 miles away to attend college in northern California. Before I left, I took each of my youngest siblings out for dinner, just one-on-one, and we talked about… Read More Emblem of Our House: Guilt
Brittany Lee wanted to make a difference. In 2017, she was pursuing her degree in sociology and anthropology while working in the bankruptcy department of a law firm. That’s where she learned about Central Arkansas Rescue Effort (CARE) for Animals. “One of the lawyers was involved with CARE as a caseworker,” Brittany explained. “She said,… Read More Puppy Love