Literature

Guide to Language Arts and Writing

Danica Tomber,, Madeline VanArsdale, The Observatory

Humans have long used language, writing, and storytelling to make sense of the world—and to shape how it is understood. Writing takes many forms, extending from literature and journalism to scholarship, personal reflection, and everyday communication. Together, language and writing help develop our critical thinking, awareness, and curiosity. The Observatory Guide to Language Arts and Writing explores how language and storytelling shape the human mind, foster empathy, and serve as tools for understanding ourselves, connecting with others, imagining new possibilities, solving problems, and questioning the status quo. Drawing on literature, history, psychology, neuroscience, and the social sciences, the guide highlights how writing and narrative shape not only expression, but perception, meaning, and action.
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Guide to Literary Fraud

Katherine Dolan, The Observatory

Why do some authors pretend to be someone they are not? Why do they claim experiences that they don’t have? What drives them to create texts and claim that they are ancient? By examining some examples of literary fraud from the modern era, we can gain insight not only into a fraudulent writer’s perspective, but also into readers’ expectations, publishing practices, and what kind of story a culture values.
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Laurel Sutherlin
Laurel Sutherlin is the senior communications strategist for Rainforest Action Network. He is a lifelong environmental and human rights campaigner as well as a naturalist and outdoor educator with a passion for birds and wild places. Follow him on Twitter @laurelsutherlin.
Debra Merskin
Debra Merskin, PhD, is a professor of media studies in the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon and is a co-founder of Animals and Media.
Jan Ritch-Frel
Jan Ritch-Frel is a co-founder of the Observatory and a co-editor of Human Bridges.
Mohammad Golam Sarwar
Mohammad Golam Sarwar is a doctoral researcher at SOAS University of London.
Melanie Joy
Melanie Joy, PhD, is a psychologist, international speaker, and social justice advocate. She is the award-winning author of seven books.
Mike Jay
Mike Jay is an author, cultural historian, and curator.
Valeria Falabella
Valeria Falabella is a director at the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Nadja Durbach
Nadja Durbach is a historian of modern Britain and professor of History at the University of Utah.
Sarah Parker Ward
Sarah Parker Ward is an end-of-life strategist and death tech futurist.
Anna J. Cooper
“Anna Julia Cooper (née Haywood; 1858–1964) was an American author, educator, sociologist, speaker, Black liberation activist, Black feminist leader, and one of the most prominent African-American scholars in United States history.” (Source: [[wikipedia:Anna_J._Cooper
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