Jamie Janosz

If you have never watched Gilmore Girls or Bunheads , television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, then this post is not for you. Actually, you must go directly to your television and watch an episode or two or three...you are missing out on one of life's treats. I adore both of these shows for their fast-talking, witty, wacky, and memorable characters - in fact, I love them so much that I sometimes dream of what it would be like to actually live in Stars Hollow or Paradise. Life is simpler there, more charming, less chaotic, friendlier...I could walk to work! It occurred to me that the reason I love Amy's depiction of small-town life is that she is portraying a beautiful image of "community." For most of us the word "community" has lost its charm. Some of our towns have "community centers" where they hold zumba classes or computer skills for seniors. We like to land on the "community chest" in Monopoloy, although it ...

As an English professor, I guess it is a given that I love to read. I am very unsettled when I am not immersed in a book. One of my Facebook friends and former students, shared a post about the book list of Rory Gilmore. I am a HUGE fan of the Gilmore Girls television series - and love the fact that the main character, Rory, is an avid reader. All of these books or movies, listed below, were mentioned in the series. How many have you read? I've starred the ones that I've read (or seen the movie if it was the more popular option). By the way - if you haven't tuned in yet to the new series by the creator of the Gilmore Girls - you need to do so! Bunheads, which airs on ABC Family, is funny and features cameos from your favorite GG characters. They also air repeats on their internet site. I love Amy Palladino's writing and look forward to more of her character-recommended books to add to my bookshelf list! * 1984 by George Orwell * The Adventures of Huckleb...

When my daughter was little, I tried to keep her from hurting herself. We put safety latches on drawers and moved sharp and breakable objects out of her reach. But with each year, our parental efforts to safeguard her existence get more difficult. While she has changed and grown and matured, our instinct, as parents, is still to keep her safe, to keep her from harm. I was thinking about this as I watched one of my favorite television series, The Gilmore Girls . In the show, there is a Korean mother and daughter, Mrs. Kim and her daughter Lane. Mrs. Kim owns an antique shop and keeps her daughter close at hand. She attends church regularly and forbids her daughter to talk to boys. She wants to keep her daughter pure and safe. There is only one problem. Lane. Lane is a delightful character. In the series, we watch as she progresses through junior high, high school, and college. She is sweet and funny and kind and awkward. She also is a HUGE fan of all sorts of music – music of ...