Word of Mouth

In a world where doodling is often criticized as a means toward distraction, new studies have shown that sketching and doodling improve our comprehension and creative thinking. Sunni Brown argues that there is no such thing as a mindless drawing. Her movement, and forthcoming book, is called ‘The Doodle Revolution'. She joins us to set the record straight.

Since Newtown, debates over gun violence have focused largely on how to keep guns out of the hands of people who kill other people. The truth is that - by a margin of nearly 2 to 1 - suicide is the leading cause of death by gun violence.

It’s a toll not often discussed, but one that some law enforcement and public health officials say is worsened by easy access to guns.  Leon Neyfakh wrote about the topic in the Ideas section of The Boston Globe.

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Americans largely oppose the slaughter of horses for human consumption. Despite the cultural taboo, the United States is a key exporter of live horses to slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada.  Each year, more than 100,000 American horses are killed in North America for consumption abroad.  Many American horses are given drugs that are carcinogenic to humans, putting consumers’ health at risk. 

Danny Gregory is an author and illustrator whose work you might have seen in the New York Times or other publications. He’s also author of several books, including “An Illustrated Life” and “The Creative License.”  His newest is called “A Kiss Before You Go: A Memoir Of Love And Loss”. It’s a collection of illustrations and text compiled from daily drawings Danny did in the year following the death of his wife Patti.