Book Cover Gender Swap

Yesterday, YA author Maureen Johnson proposed a challenge to her followers on Twitter: redesign the book cover of a well-known book as if it was written by someone of the opposite gender of the author or a gender-queer person.  I, and hundreds of other people, participated in this call.

Johnson reflected on the event today on the Huffington Post Blog page.  She described the birth of the premise, the issues behind book covers and author genders, and what we can do to change those problems.  One of the problems she cited was that women writers and their literature are not taken seriously.  When critics review these works, they describe the books as " 'light,' 'fluffy,' 'breezy,' or 'beach read.' "  This is despite the actual quality of the work.

My Pride and Prejudice cover flip.

I've read some of Maureen Johnson's novels.  Some are more seriously than others.  Some are more "beach read-y" than others.  But the covers tend not to reflect that.  Instead, they simply reflect that Johnson is a woman writer writing for an audience that the publishing companies have determined are, in the majority, girls or women.  This, of course, benefits the publishing company in that they are better able to advertise to their target audience.  However, they fail to attract male readers who might otherwise enjoy the novel.

Think of J.K. Rowling.  When Rowling's series finally got accepted at a publishing company, she was pushed to publish under the name J.K. Rowling rather than Joanne Rowling because the book would appeal to more boys if the author was gender-less (or, let's face it, masculine, because you're going to assume male when you don't know).  The American book covers are relatively boyish.  The colors are bold and the covers are typically devoid of colors society defines as feminine (ie pink, purple, yellow).  (There is some purple on the Goblet of Fire cover, but it's minimal.)  As a book about a young boy, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was marketed towards boys.

The fandom eventually gained female readers (exhibit a: me) but I would argue that most young adult novel readers (that is, young adult readers who read young adult books as opposed to young adult readers who read adult books) tend to be female.  This could also be because (in my experience), young adult books tend to be written by women and therefore have more female leads than male leads, thus making the plots more accessible to female readers.

Whether this is what causes the more feminine covers, I'll leave to the statisticians.  I will say, however, that when looking through the "cover flip" tag on Tumblr and viewing the slideshow on the blog post from Johnson, I noticed that the covers of books written by men (and presumably written for boys and men) tended to have a more abstract design than the books written by women (presumably for girls and women).  My evolutionary psychology mind switched into gear and I wondered why this might be.

My first thought (which is probably wrong, but I'll throw it out for consideration anyway) is that women tend to be more interested in relationships (be it romantic, platonic, familial) -- and therefore people -- than men.  Following this logic, it then makes sense that books for women would have covers that feature people more than books for men.  I'm open to other theories, and I'll probably have more as the day goes on, but that is what I'm offering you to chew on for now.

My cover flip of The Call of the Wild

I'll own that I don't know a whole lot about how book covers are designed.  I don't know if publishers do specific photo shoots for books (assuming the design has a photograph as opposed to a drawing or some other visual) or if they just choose from a list of stock images.  I don't know how much the designer of a book cover typically knows about the actual book (though my understanding is, if you are a high-profile author you not only get more say in the design, but have more contact with the designer).  I'm happy to open the comments to people who are more educated in this field and can enlighten both me and my readers.

I hope, however, that you do a cover flip yourself.  Pick your favorite book and imagine someone with the opposite gender of the actual author wrote it.  What might the cover look like?  Design one, upload it to Photobucket or wherever you like to keep your photos, and link to it in the comments.

And in the meantime, be thinking about what if the same were true of films.  How would films be marketed?  What if the cast of The Avengers was gender swapped?  (I recognize, as per Rule #63 of the Internet, that there is plenty of fan art out there which does this; but what if mainstream artists did this?)  That sounds like the kind of world I'd like to live in.

By a Lady: Making the Most of Identity in Creative Writing

Professor Pauline Kaldas

In every class I have ever had with Professor Pauline Kaldas, I have been required to include a reflection essay with my semester-end portfolio.  Although I have been rather un-creative with these essays in the past, I decided this semester to make the piece part of the portfolio itself, rather than just a bland statement citing what I learned through this spring.  For those of you who have not yet had a class with Professor Kaldas but have an opportunity to do so, I suggest you do.  I recently named her as my new adviser when I was informed my adviser would be retiring.  She is an excellent mentor, accepting, kind, intelligent, creative, and everything you could ever want in a professor.  It is because of her work as a professor that I am able to write as well as I do (though I do not claim to be any great writer -- only that my improvement is very much due to my interaction with her).  Therefore, I offer you this semester's reflection.

When Jane Austen and her family originally published many of her works, the line beneath the titles frequently read “By a Lady.”  While this was likely done, at least in some part, to save her reputation (as society continued to frown upon women writers at the time), I appreciate another meaning this byline now holds.  Two centuries later, “By a Lady” means so much more – the line of credit acknowledges a sisterhood among women writers while taking ownership of and pride in being a woman in a man’s world.  Austen and her publishers might have decided to release her work under “Anonymous.”  After all, in A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf asserted, “I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.”  However, the printers laid out the letters and so “a Lady” remains the author of such classic works as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, thus allowing women writers like myself to publish under our own names today.

I have, while continuing to improve my writing through practice, workshops, and reading others’ writing, attempted to keep Austen and other foremothers in mind.  In surveying a list of multicultural literature, I have come to realize that I am now part of this collection of authors who might have been Anonymous were it not for Austen and others like her.  Though we still very much live in a man’s world, women writers continue to hold and important presence.  Once these women writers claim their place in the domain of literature, they are free to explore other positions they maintain.  Thus we have British women writers, physically challenged women writers, lesbian writers, Latina writers, and a number of other women who represent a community in addition to the circle of women writers.

Once I grasped and owned the title of a woman writer, I looked to other places in my life for identities.  I found I was a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend, a student, a white New Englander, and a twenty-something writer.  These were not labels I needed to come into or earn.  I did not have to write about being a daughter or a girlfriend or white New Englander in order for those themes to be present in my writing.  Instead, because I was the one writing, my essays inherited the perspective of all these labels.  I do not need to identify these tags for them to be present in whatever writing I might produce.

You hold an arsenal of identities that manifest
in your writing.  The more you are aware of them
the more you can use them to your advantage.

This recognition opened a whole battery of writing material.  I could, if I chose, write about being a sister, a student, or a twenty-something and still be confident that whatever perspective I decided to ignore in a particular piece would still appear.  Just by writing, I am able to encapsulate a collection of subjects, regardless of the stated focus.  If, however, writers take the time to recognize the arsenal of titles they hold in their lives, the sheer amount of material which presents itself may be overwhelming.  The number of available topics in any writer’s life is far greater than they might realize. 

The responsibility that comes with owning these titles publicly, too, is great.  For in addition to being men, women, non-binaries, teens, forty-somethings, students, New Englanders, and whatever else a writer might be, as long as at least one person reads what they have written, they will always be shapers and influencers.

That the number of titles we hold, however informal they may be, indicates several specific communities and unique understandings about which to write, can only encourage writers not only to write more, but to do more, be more, experience more.  The wealth of a life well-lived makes the poorest writers the richest.  Their gardens of fodder boast not just their native roots, but perhaps spices from foreign lands, grains from other times, vegetables from hidden communities, and fruits from years of labor. This is what makes a multicultural writer.

Image of Professor Kaldas courtesy of Packet-Media.
Image of masks courtesy of Graphic Design Ideas.

Shy Guy: Darcy in Pride and Prejudice

I write papers, I have no blog material/time to write blogs, it only makes sense for me to post papers on here.  Right?  (If you disagree you can move along.)

Here is a response paper I wrote after rereading Pride and Prejudice for the umpteenth time.  

Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice explores a number of themes.  Most obvious is Elizabeth’s misinterpretation of Darcy’s actions.  Along with others in the novel, Elizabeth feels Darcy is proud and cold due to his unwillingness to participate in social events.  Although the word is never used in relation to the character, “shy” is a far better descriptor of Darcy.

            Austen lures her readers into agreeing with Elizabeth by only allowing them to view Darcy through the eyes of Elizabeth and other characters.  In Darcy’s introduction, “he was discovered to be proud; to be above his company, and above being pleased” (Austen ch. 3).  While the narrator pins Darcy this way, without the description, readers can interpret Darcy’s actions as something else entirely.  “Mr. Darcy danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley, declined being introduced to any other lady, and spent the rest of the evening in walking about the room, speaking occasionally to one of his own party” (Austen ch. 3).  Though the narrator leads readers to believe that these are symptoms of pride, readers can indeed explain these actions in other terms, most particularly shyness.

            Darcy, even, indicates that his antisocial behavior is a result of a shy demeanor.  After Bingley encourages his friend to have a dance, Darcy refuses.  “ ‘You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner’ ” (Austen ch. 3).  His statement is further emphasized by the fact that he only dances with women he knows at this ball.  Yet, readers are deceived because Elizabeth and other characters continue to impress that Darcy is proud.  Mrs. Bennet is particularly harsh when discussing Mr. Bingley’s sociability.  “That is my idea of good breeding; and those persons who fancy themselves very important, and never open their mouths, quite mistake the matter” (Austen ch. 9).  Mrs. Bennet does not suppose an disinclination to being social might be a result of shyness.  Because the idea is never directly suggested to readers, readers are willing to agree with the mistaken characters.  This ultimately assists in creating greater tension in the novel while still allowing for a reasonable and happy ending.

            Miss Darcy, meanwhile, is allowed to be shy.  The narrator openly bestows this attribute on Miss

My favorite Darcy, enacted by Matthew
Mcfadyen.

Darcy and not her older brother because as a female, it is acceptable for Miss Darcy to own shyness.  Still, Miss Darcy’s reputation is of being proud.  “[Elizabeth] had heard that Miss Darcy was exceedingly proud; but the observation of a very few minutes convinced her that she was only exceedingly shy” (Austen ch. 44).  Elizabeth and others were clearly unwilling

reluctant to offer such an excuse for Darcy, or at the very least imagined shyness impossible in a male figure, especially in one of so high status.  This passage offers a hint to the readers, however, that their heroine has misled them.

            Darcy’s shyness is finally admitted in chapter sixty.  “ ‘What made you so shy of me, when you first called, and afterwards dined here?’ ” (Austen) Elizabeth inquires.  Though only two instances are accounted for, the narrator finally allows readers to rest in this small suggestion that Darcy has been shy, not proud, all along.

            In relying on the opinions of other characters and the actions of Mr. Darcy alone, Austen manages to trick her readers into believing that Mr. Darcy is indeed proud.  By doing so, the readers become more engaged with Elizabeth as a character and are as blind to her faults as Elizabeth.  This carefully constructed piece of Pride and Prejudice sets up readers to be surprised by Darcy’s actual character as he acts the hero in multiple ways. 

Works Cited

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Project Gutenberg. Project Gutenberg, 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 22 Mar. 2013.

Book image courtesy of Novel Reaction.

Darcy image courtesy of Tumblr.

Apologies Once Again

Unfortunately, I have been unable to post as of late because on Sunday evening, my computer charger decided to die. Given that it gave me no warning it was going to die, I chose to forego a proper funeral and just leave it to rot on my floor.

As punishment for dying the week before finals, I hope it enjoys a long stay in power cord hell. My new charger will not be available to me, in all likelihood, until Monday. Maybe. If I am lucky.

I've also been dealing with preparing for finals, some final programs for residents, and some personal issues. Oh, and Psi Chi, into which I was accepted and of which I was promptly made president in Monday evening. I then celebrated this new addition to my resume further at Honors Convocation, where I was formally recognized with other students who achieved similar...achievements.

In any case, I hope to be blogging more regularly when my new charger comes in.

In the meantime, from my iPad, my apologies for the unexpected hiatus.

I Am So Frustrated

As the summer has become increasingly closer, I've become increasingly anxious.  This summer is still very much up in the air for me.  When I first made the decision to stay in DC between my junior and senior year of college, I expected that some company or organization would take notice of me.  After all, I applied to well over twenty internships and jobs; I kept a relatively consistent blog; I remained active in things like Write a Letter Day, the Hollins Student Conference, and other things that would benefit me (and others) in a number of ways.  Yet I've not heard from anyone.

I wish I got paid for how much time I spend on this site.

I find this incredibly frustrating for several reasons.  It certainly makes a big dent in my ego and makes me doubt and question myself and every little thing that I do.  I constantly have to remind myself that it's not necessarily that I wasn't good enough for a particular job, but that they might not have even looked at my application or I was perhaps even over-qualified.

Still, I check craigslist almost daily; stalk internship websites like simplyhired, indeed, and internmatch; ask most people I talk to if they have any ideas or connections that might be helpful; try to stay on top of my LinkedIn page (add me, if you haven't already); and continue to brainstorm new avenues I can try that will be relevant to my eventual career, a resume booster, and a source of income for the summer.

I was speaking with my mom on the phone (as I do nearly every day) a few weeks ago.  We were discussing internships and both of my parents are insisting I must have a source of income this summer.  While I certainly would love to get paid, it's simply not realistic, especially for internship positions.  Mom didn't believe me when I told her most internships don't pay, even though I've been going through page after page of listings for a couple of years now.  (Note to self: Print out a few of those pages and show Mom.)  (Note to Mom: I still love you.)

Maybe I'm getting discouraged because I keep listening to Matt Nathanson's new song, "Mission Bells" on repeat.  Maybe I'm getting discouraged because I can't put as much time as I would like into internship searching because school work is currently devouring most of my time and will continue to do so for the next two weeks, at which time it will be too late to find an internship.

I've looked into child care jobs, pet care jobs, writing jobs, editing jobs, camp counselor jobs, administrative jobs, marketing jobs, blog jobs, you name it (unless it involves math, in which case I haven't bothered because we all know that would be a disaster for all parities involved).  I even posted on craigslist today that I was willing to help edit and revise papers for college/high school students for a fee.

I think the worst part about all of this is that I'm really starting to doubt my writing abilities.  Lately, I feel like every piece I've turned in for creative writing classes just aren't up to the same level of quality I've done in the past (then again, I always think something is better when I'm writing it than when I look at it months later -- so I could be wrong).  I listen to Matt Nathanson's lyrics and read poetry from unknown authors on Tumblr and feel like if even they can't break through to the mainstream audience, how can I even pretend to imagine that anyone beyond my circle of friends and family will ever read what I write?

I guess I'm kind of talking about two different issues right now, but they are very much intertwined in my mind.  It seems that no matter how well I do (3.95 GPA, a score of 32 out of a possible 35 on my conference presentation, an invitation to join Psi Chi Honor Society, etc.) it never translates into anything that's really worth anything.  I realize that's a kind of convoluted sentence -- basically, I get all of this positive recognition that doesn't really amount to anything in the real world and is therefore pretty much worthless.  It's not that I don't appreciate this recognition -- I do.  But as of right now, I am not seeing it pay off and that feels like an inhibiting force in my life.

Someone please tell me what to do with my life.

It also makes me really sad that I know that I'm capable of so many things, but because I don't turn in a perfect application or a perfect cover letter, potential employers never get to see what I'm really capable of.  Instead, they pick someone who might be fantastic at writing cover letters but is actually useless in the office (not that all people are this way -- I'm sure that's not the case with everyone, but I'm also sure that I'm more qualified for many positions that other people have been selected for).

I'm rambling and probably proving to people, at this point, that I'm really just as bad at writing as I currently believe myself to be, so I'm going to leave it here before I dig myself deeper.


Craigslist image courtesy of Crunch Base.
Direction image courtesy of Hyogoajet.

It's Okay to Be Selfish

There is some statistic that floats around about how Americans don't take enough vacation time compared to other countries' workers.  As my boyfriend and I try to work out when and how long we can visit my hometown this summer, vacation time is a substantial issue and I'm frustrated for him.  He frequently works late and then comes home to work some more.  He works on the weekends.  He puts in a lot of thought into everything he does.  And he rarely has time for himself.

If I didn't think he loves what he does as much as he does, I wouldn't let him do this.

I know what it's like to burn out, and without even realizing you're doing it.  My first year as a resident assistant, my supervisors and previous RAs stressed how important it was to use the four days off we get

Buying more clocks won't give you
more time.

monthly.  I went on my happy way after training.  August finished out, we started classes in September, October flew by, and then we were in late November.  I had not used a single day.  I was proud of that fact, too.  I didn't need them.  After all, it's not like I had residents knocking on my door all the time and my school work was on time and well done.

Until late November.

In late November, I got hit with a ton of big projects and papers.  Thanksgiving break was approaching, I had to give up a weekend to attend VACUHO (a state-wide resident assistant conference -- I went eagerly and voluntarily but hadn't considered my assignment schedule very well), and I had been off my anti-depressants/anti-anxiety medication for nearly five months.  Still, I didn't take time off.

And then I broke down.  It was a huge mess.  I cried nonstop for a few days, had to go home a couple of days early because that was the only way I was getting a ride home, barely turned my things in on time, and was doubting whether or not I was actually any good at my job.  Or anything, for that matter.

December was a short month, but I took my birthday off.  The following semester, I made sure to use all four days each month, even if I didn't have anything planned.  Even just to use a day to get off campus and go to the mall or downtown helped.

My supervisor has since used me as a willing example during RA training.  She encourages me to tell my story whenever the question of time off comes up and I always insist RAs take the time off (even though that's the same thing RAs did to me when I trained the first time -- I emphasize that I know they're probably thinking, "Yeah, whatever, I don't need time off," but they actually do.)

Now that I take the time off, life is easier.  I don't feel guilty about taking the time off because it's good for me.  And whenever I'm feeling stressed or just like I haven't had enough me time recently, I ignore my homework for an afternoon (assuming I'm caught up enough) and catch up on Doctor Who or Once Upon a Time.

Yesterday afternoon, I was able to go back to the gym for the first time in a month -- it was so great.  Last night, I took time away from homework to paint my nails.  This weekend, I plan on setting aside some guitar time.

Relaxation leads to productivity.

You are not a bad person for setting aside your duties once in a while.  You can't perform your duties well, in fact, if you are continuously burnt out.

I realized, recently, this also translates to relationships.  Sometimes, you have to let go of some relationships in order to be a healthier individual and a better friend, sister, brother, parent, daughter, son, co-worker, or whatever else you might be.  Cutting those relationships may be painful, but hopefully the person on the other end will understand, especially if you explain that you feel like you're putting too much into the relationship and not getting enough out of it or that it's making it more difficult to be a good (insert title here).  You can always tell this person you're happy to try being friends, romantic partners, crossword buddies, or Dungeons and Dragons pals in the future, but right now the best thing for you is to take a break.  And that's okay.

So take a deep breath, enjoy the spring weather, do whatever it is that gives you a break emotionally, mentally, and physically and focus on you.  It's okay to be selfish.  I'm giving you permission.

Both images courtesy of Morgue File.

Top 10 Websites You've Never Heard Of

As someone who spends a lot of time online, I always get excited when I find a website that I haven't heard of before.  Whether it's a gaming website, an organization website, or something totally off the wall, I'm eager to check it out.  Recently I came across a few new sites that seem to be hidden gems.

1. Prezi - Prezi is like PowerPoint but better.  I love the clean templates with cool themes and awesome color schemes.  I love that the themes that are available have different ways of organization, so chances are, you will find a "best way" to present your information.  I love that all of your progress is saved to a place that is not your computer -- that means no lost work!  I love that you can check out the work of other people to see the fantastic ideas people are having and the creative ways they're utilizing Prezi.  My only caveat is, before you use the program, check with your audience to make sure they don't experience motion sickness easily, because it can trigger that with its 3D-like movement.

2. Who Needs Feminism? - Who Needs Feminism is a movement that utilizes social media to spread awareness about feminism.  It was started at Duke University and, even when I replicated the event (as the organization encourages) at my women's college, a surprising number of people had never heard of it.  Who Needs Feminism has a presence on Tumblr, Facebook, and Twitter.  While there has been some backlash with so-called "men's rights" activists (who don't understand that feminism does not mean anti-men, but rather pro-equality, meaning they are fighting for men to have the same rights in the few instances where women have "more"), the movement is growing daily.

3. 750Words - 750Words is a program similar to Write or Die! and Written? Kitten!  The premise of the site is that daily, you sign in and write 750 words.  These words can be whatever you like -- a diary, poetry, fiction, the same word 750 times, grocery lists, or a blog (which is what I did when I started this blog).  The content you write remains private and, the more you write, the more badges you can earn on the site.  For example, if you write three days in a row, you earn "the Turkey."  In addition to awesome badges, the site provides a ton of data on your writing habits, including documenting your mood based on vocabulary usage, the average amount of time it takes you to reach 750 words, the number of words you've written sine joining (I've reached 43,039 in fifty days of writing), and how long your longest writing streak is.  Unfortunately, the site is turning into a paid site on May 1 -- that is, to use the site, it's going to cost roughly $5 a month.  If I wasn't a poor college student, I'd totally keep doing it.  Guess I'll just have to go back to Write or Die!*

*Existing members (and members who sign up prior to May 1) will be awarded free lifetime accounts, with encouragements to donate.  Looks like I'll be sticking with 750Words after all! Hurray!

4. Dear Girls Above Me - Dear Girls Above Me chronicles the life of Charlie McDowell who lives in an apartment below two pretty clueless twenty-somethings.  The website describes the content as follows: "Two annoying girls moved into the apartment above me.  I'm forced to hear every dumb thing they say.  These are my letters to them."  Each "letter" to the girls is very short, as the content originated on Twitter.  McDowell has now compiled these letters into a book which is available for purchase.  I go to this site whenever I feel a little stupid -- it's not long before I feel like a genius again.

5. I Waste So Much Time - If you ever needed an excuse to procrastinate, this is it.  I Waste So Much Time allows you to do just what its title promises -- waste time.  You can easily go through pages and pages of funny and occasionally thought-provoking images and never realize that time is passing.  I sometimes run into images that I saw earlier that day on Tumblr or some other site, but I typically see several new things whenever I'm there.

6. TV Tropes - TV Tropes has a never-ending lists of tropes (or, recurring themes) in television, film, literature, and other media.  I've found this site helpful when I'm writing a novel or short story and either want to avoid cliches or am not sure where to take it next.  You can search by the title of a work or by trope, and it's great to find similarities between titles you're familiar with.  It's also a good tool if you're into a certain trope and want to find more material on that subject.  For example, if you want to see more on The Schizophrenia Conspiracy, you search that term and, with a description of the trope, you are provided with a list of films, web comics, video games, literature, and live-action television which all contain that trope.

7. Cut Out + Keep - Cut Out and Keep is an arsenal of crafts, recipes, and crafting tricks that can keep you busy for days.  Want an owl wallet?  There's a how-to for that.  Always wanted a Marilyn Monroe halter dress?  There's a how-to for that.  Dying for a Pokeball pillow?  There's a how-to for that.  Whether you like sewing, baking, cooking, crocheting, paper-crafting, or anything else, you're likely to find at least one tutorial or example of it on this site.  Cut Out + Keep also updates with articles about various crafters and crafting methods.

8. HelloGiggles - HelloGiggles is an online lifestyle magazine and community started in part by actress Zooey Deschanel.  Feminist and feminine, the site includes clever, funny, thought-provoking and moving articles as well as polls, forums, and other magazine-like content.  HelloGiggles also as a Pinterest account which fans can follow.  They love nail art and body-positive messages.

9. Project Gutenberg - With over 42,000 available titles, Project Gutenberg is a little bit more well-known, but on the off chance you haven't heard of it, it's high time you do.  The site is dedicated to taking books and literature that are now in the public domain and digitizing them so they are available to the masses for free.  By searching the title of a book, you can determine if it's available and then download it in various formats.  The site currently supports popular platforms like Kindle and good old HTML for just reading it right on your computer screen.  The books are digitized by volunteers and, while they occasionally contain mistakes, they're near perfect most of the time.  Check it out to see if your favorite classic is available -- this is a great option for college students who just can't afford a new copy of Pride and Prejudice.

10. Big Words - Speaking of poor college students, Big Words has been a live-saver for me when ordering text books.  Before you go off to Amazon, check Big Words -- they may be able to find you a cheaper version of the book you're looking for or a place where you can buy all of your books more cheaply than if you purchased them all separately.  I regularly get away with paying around 1/2 of what the bookshop at my school would have me pay for books for classes each semester.  Big Words sometimes also lets you in on coupon deals available at sites. While the site is mainly for students searching for text books, you can put in any ISBN to find anything that's out there.  Even if you're not looking for a book for school, there's a good chance you'll be able to find it for a fraction of the price using Big Words.

Now that I've given you my top ten, I want to hear some of yours.  What are some sites you love that no one else seems to know about?

Image courtesy of Idaho.gov.