Hayden Panettiere’s death came as a shock even though she confessed her struggles with substance abuse in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning . New reports confirm an oxycontin pill laced with fe...

Janet Caperna is a control freak. So am I. Whether it’s an admirable trait or not, I share the classic traits of impatience, urgency, and elevated levels of stress and anxiety associated with a Type A...

What parents need to know about what their kids are exposed to online

A personal essay about identity, anxiety, and self-discovery in the aftermath of 9/11. When the world stopped making sense, I packed a tape recorder, got in my car, and drove from Boston to California...

A place for thoughtful prose and sharp insights, designed for readers who value depth and connection over constant noise and mindless scrolling. Click to read Pens, Pals, & Prose with Kacy Zurkus, a S...

An excerpt from my memoir, Finding My Way Home

A new survey reveals how teens are quietly building their understanding of the world through AI tools their parents don't recognize, don't use, and by their own admission, don't understand.

Caring for my husband in wartime

Seeing Jacinda Ardern speak live was unforgettable. A personal reflection on her leadership, her book A Different Kind of Power, and why it matters.

As a former teacher who worked in a high school when Snapchat was born, I witnessed the birth of sexting and its impact on teens. I recall asking a parent whether he was checking his daughter’s phone ...

A federal lawsuit against Elon Musk's xAI puts a spotlight on the growing crisis of AI-generated deepfakes targeting teenage girls. From Lancaster County to South Carolina, schools are failing victims...

Learn why parental control and surveillance apps may undermine teen safety. Research-backed insights on protecting kids online through trust and communication.

I stood in front of my classroom for nearly two decades. During the first several years of my teaching, I’d watch nervous freshmen file into my English classroom, armed with the same defense mechanism...

I started a writing group after a Sue Shapiro class — and it changed my writing life. Here's what I learned about feedback, accountability, and finding your people.

A personal essay about confronting family violence, alcoholism, and the courage it takes to face generational trauma and break cycles of…

LAUGHING MATTERS is for people who find that laughing matters...even when it's no laughing matter. Join me in finding humor in navigating midlife, music, memoir, and moving to France for a year. Spoil...

It's so hard to quiet the fear of not having enough

My fears about the power of AI are not just the ramblings of an anxious mom

There is a specific brand of irony in being a writer who loves words but avoids the places where people actually read them. For a long time, I’ve treated social media like a loud, crowded party I wasn...

Last night I enjoyed dinner with some work friends, one of whom retired about 5 months ago. After seeing the positive impact not working was having on her life, her husband decided to take an early re...

It’s been a bit since my last post, but ‘work’ has been busy. I put quotes around work intentionally, not because I haven’t really been working or because I’m being hyperbolic and making excuses. Rath...

My family opposes my decision, but I am ready to wear my gray hair with pride

Reflections from a runner who’s not supposed to run anymore.

Is writer's block real? Or is it just procrastination in disguise? This article explores the idea of writer's block as a choice, offering insights and practical advice to overcome fear and get to work...

Because standing with him is standing for America.

I walked into my bedroom this morning to find my cat staring up at my armoire. Initially, I thought she was eyeing the diaper hanger bag that is now home to single socks waiting in limbo to see if the...

Though I’ve made it obvious in previous posts that I am not a poet, that doesn’t diminish my love of verse. In fact, I asked one of my daughter’s friends about a book she’s currently reading, and she ...

RSAC launches a year-round platform and app to extend the power of its conference, enabling cybersecurity pros to connect, learn, and collaborate anytime, anywhere.

Join Pens, Pals & Prose, where writers connect to share stories, give constructive feedback, and build a nurturing community. Discover inspiration, improve your writing skills, and make lasting connec...

I hadn't heard from Anita in hours and was starting to worry when the phone rang saying she had been hit by a car and was in a coma.

The meritocracy isn’t working. We need something new.