As post offices around the country face an uncertain future due to budget cuts, part of the conversation about what stays and what goes is taking place in Horatio, South Carolina and its LeNoir Store, considered by some to be the oldest family-run business in America. Read more »
Our editors reflect on the rides that meant the most to them, from their first set of wheels in high school to sleek honeymoon convertibles.
Aside from my job at Reader’s Digest, I’m taking a class in Narrative Theory and Screenwriting. One of the books that’s required reading is 99 Ways To Tell A Story by Matt Madden. When I first opened it, I was intrigued; instead of how-to text, Madden uses comic-book style illustration to help push writers beyond their creative boundaries.
Madden starts with one story: A man, sitting at a computer, gets up for something from the fridge. Someone asks what time it is. The man answers, continues to fridge but forgets what he wanted. End scene.
From there, Madden tells the same story 99 other ways: Monologue (a passive recounting of the story), Subjective (viewing only what the man sees), Furry (if the man was a skunk), as a Public Service Announcement (“Oh, Julio, I think you just found it!”), and so on. Each is more fantastic than the next.
Even if you’re not a writer (or planning to be), this easy read is a key tool for challenging creativity.
—Adrienne Farr
Who’s afraid of the dark? Insomniacs
For some people with insomnia, the real reason they can’t fall asleep may be a fear of the dark, a small new study suggests.
A fascinating read, especially if you’re one of the 60 million people in the United States who experience insomnia each year.
Reader’s Digest feature story, June 2012
Illustration: Yuko Shimizu
Read the full story of Grizzly! at Reader’s Digest.com.
A great, loud read for a quiet Sunday afternoon.
Readers’ Digest feature story, June 2012
”The Magic of a Midsummer Night” was originally published in Reader’s Digest in August 1961, and is reprinted this month as part of our Reader’s Digest Classic series. The new illustration is by Chris Buzelli. You can see more samples of Buzelli’s work at his blog here.
Lovely art, lovely story. Check out an enhanced version in our iPad edition.
This 1910 postcard might be taking things a bit far, but we love writer Matt Powers’ case for ditching the smart phones in favor of something more basic. Check it out and let us know what you think.
