Maggie Steele, the storybook heroine who vaults over the moon, has been attracting thousands of visitors from around the world. So many visitors, in fact, that she’s using a time zone map to keep track of them all.* People are … Continue reading 
By: Rebecca,
on 7/8/2008
Great Abaco Island, Bahamas
Population: 14,000 (2005 est.)
Coordinates: 26 25 N 77 10 W
Think of the trade winds, steady equatorial air currents, and you might imagine early European explorers drifting across the Atlantic towards a cluster of lush islands strung across the Caribbean Sea like a necklace of pearls. But it is these same winds that also bring an annual average of six hurricanes to this region between June and November—tropical storms that are beginning to make the news once again. In fact, just yesterday, the National Hurricane Center announced that Bertha, the second named storm of the 2008 season, had graduated to Category Three on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. So you’ll want to steer clear of Bertha, but if you’re searching for a “Hurricane Capital,” look no further than Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas; since 1851 it has endured 18 severe hurricanes (Category 3, 4, or 5) and 40 altogether which works out to about one every four years.
Ben Keene is the editor of Oxford Atlas of the World. Check out some of his previous places of the week.
By: Mary Hershey,
on 2/18/2008
There are at least eight excellent reasons that I think you should take the nine minutes it will take to watch this video of Sarah Vowell, who is the voice for the superhero Violet from The Incredibles.
1. Sarah Vowell is a big introvert.
2. Sarah Vowell is so cool you won't hardly be able to stand it.
3. Sarah Vowell is extremely funny.
4. Sarah Vowell says things like "... I'm better with dead people."
5. Like Nancy Pearl, she has her own Action Figure-- two actually, and one of them is INVISIBLE.
6. Sarah Vowell makes Abraham Lincoln seem kinda, well, you know, hot.
7. As part of my book launch plan I'm starting some school visits and the first one is tomorrow and I'm speaking to two Assemblies with 160 kids each and I'm in dire need of some serious superhero mojo. (And I seem to have misplaced my punctuation she says gasping!)
8. Could there be a better name for a superhero than Violet?
What do you think, friends? Does she make the cut our Shrinking Violet Hall of Fame?
Click here for Sarah's video!
Wish me luck tomorrow--
Mary Hershey
Sarah Vowell doesn't need the superhero getup--I already thought she rocked.
And neither do you! You're talking about writing and books, right? Subjects you love and know intimately? These are fun things to talk about!
(Is this pep talk working? It's sincere, if a bit corny!)
I hope you had a super day with the kids, Mary! I'm sure they loved you and had no idea about how much of an introvert you really are--now go take a bubble bath and eat some chocolate!
Terry P.
Dear LA and Terry,
Thanks for all the good wishes-- I felt them! They worked. I had truly a SUPER day. Kids were amazing. I had a lovely bag of cookies from the school waiting for me at the hotel-- they know how to treat a girl, I tell ya.
:-)
Mary
Hey Mary,
I’m so glad everything went well for your school speaking engagement. I’ve been totally swamped and haven’t yet caught up on all the great Shrinking Violet posts quite yet. Lots of great info.
Getting back to public speaking . . .
I found this quote by Jerry Seinfeld on the internet today and couldn’t stop laughing:
According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.
HA! HA! HA!
Okay. Back to work I go.
I'm falling out of my chair laughing at that, Kimberly! I love Jerry Seinfeld a lot. Went to one of his concerts one time and I nearly lost my cookies from laughing so hard.
THAT one-- death before public speaking is a keeper!
Thanks,
Mary
Hey, Mary -- Those kids were lucky to get to hear you speak! You've got more mojo than you know :) Thanks for your willingness to share your knowledge.
Sherrie in Solvang
The first time I saw this video on the Incredibles DVD extras, I ADORED it! (I'm a little Pixar-mad, actually).
I so relate to Sarah, only my president of choice as a teen was John Adams.
She is a riot.