Books

I heart reading. My tastes these days skew toward nonfiction of the business/social phenomenon variety (examples: Malcolm Gladwell, Jennifer Michael Hecht, Steven Levitt, Daniel Gilbert, James Surowiecki, and Nassim Nicholas Taleb among others). The most powerful book I’ve read in the past year was A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah.

Art

I make kindergarten-grade artwork using Corel Painter Essentials and Freehand, as well as non-digital media like acrylics, marbles, and random bits of cool paper. I’ve also made a few clocks. The best clock I made was set against a backdrop of the NYC subway system in mirror image printed negative-style, with a clock motor that runs in reverse. It’s displayed against a mirror so you have to read the time in the mirror. I made it for my mom with her grandfather (Papa) in mind. Papa was a NYC subway conductor, loved practical jokes, and was a clock maker in his after hours.

Language

I am learning Spanish so I can communicate better with my in-laws and friends in Chile. I will be posting my Spanish grades on my blog—I figure it is a good way to keep me studying hard. I don’t want to post Cs and Ds, after all…

Volunteering

I have a few pet volunteer projects, many of which revolve around reading and literacy. One program I’m hoping to get more involved in is More Than Words <http://www.morethanwordsbooks.com/>, a bookstore in the Boston area run by youth in the foster care system. I’m also on the planning committee for the Boston Cares <www.bostoncares.org> annual fundraising event, Summer Nights, City Lights.

Other volunteer projects include: In2Books, Prison Book Program, Recording Books for the Blind and Dyslexic, The Greater Boston Food Bank, The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and others.

Are you a 501(c)(3) non-profit? Email me with your project specs and I will work with you to provide a reduced fee.