Articles written by Kathleen Small

What is Helium

About me - Kathleen Small

I am a Colorado-born current Brooklynite who drinks gin and plays Taboo with the fanaticism of a Frenchman at the World Cup finals.

I graduated with honors from Tulane University in New Orleans, where I studied theatre and creative writing, a near-irrelevant

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Arts & Humanities > Writing Resources How to find short story contests: 2 of 14
How to Find Short Story Contests:Before attempting any of the advice in this article, it helps to already have written a short story. It helps even more if that short story has been workshopped, critiqued by people who are not related to you, and rewritten a few times.First thing is first: Get some post-it notes. Take them, a... More..
Home & Garden > Gardening (Other) True gardening stories: What my garden taught me - the hard way: 15 of 88
A Memoir of Ferns and AcceptanceAll my life I have coveted the kind of magic that gardeners wield. Every time I disposed of another sun-charred basil plant, another withered tomato stalk, another empty pot of dirt that never yielded a single shoot, the failure burned me, and I wished I could nurture things that couldn't be co... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Tips for testing a writing story idea: 6 of 26
You can't write a story with an idea you've only thought about. Putting your fingers to the keys or your pen to paper is beyond critical: it is the moment of conception. Everything else, all the brainstorming and moustache-tugging, is just foreplay.However, just because you've got a great idea for a short story doesn't mean i... More..
Entertainment > Musicians & Bands Band reviews: Bon Jovi: 5 of 17
You've seen him: the guy going 75 down the highway, all his windows rolled down, his left hand tapping the window frame. His hair dances in the wind; his sunglasses glint dangerously. As you come up alongside, he turns to check you out, pulls an easy, devil-may-care grin, and puts the accelerator to the floor. You fall behind... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Tips for finding story ideas: 22 of 66
I just read a short story about one woman's quest to find her biological mother. I thought, "Wow... I wish I was adopted. I could write circles around this chump. Too bad my life's so boring and I have no material to work with."Most of us spend our lives smiling at a boss we despise so that we can pay the rent; then we commut... More..
Sciences > Sciences (Other) Report: My science fair experiment: 14 of 30
This dark horse experiment beat out the homemade calorimeter and the dissected cow heart to take my school to state finals.Does Mozart Have a Green Thumb?Question: Will exposure to music help plants grow? Further, what kind of music will help plants grow the best?I. Research:Plants typically need the help of four environmenta... More..
Relationships & Family > Parents Building a better father-daughter relationship: 22 of 47
When I think of iconic father-daughter relationships, I remember Disney's "The Little Mermaid." Ariel is a true daddy's girl, but as she grows older she yearns to explore the world above, and Eric, a human prince who cannot live in the sea, steals her heart. King Triton, a tear welling up in his eye, takes his magic triton st... More..
Arts & Humanities > European History Russian history: A short chronology of the Russian Revolution: 1 of 2
You are marching to the Winter Palace arm-in-arm with two of your brothers and your father. Your youngest brother died in an accident in the factory last month and his body was buried in exchange for 2 bottles of black market vodka. The day after the funeral you went back to the factory and worked 11 hours. The day after that... More..
Arts & Humanities > William Shakespeare Shakespeare's use of oxymoron and paradox: 1 of 1
Before exploring how Shakespeare used oxymoron and paradox in his plays, we should first establish a definition of both literary devices. An oxymoron is a figure of speech that pairs things that are usually contradictory. You use this one every day, and it can come in the form of a complete sentence ("This silence is deafenin... More..
Entertainment > Music Genres, Trends & Scenes A guide to buying '80s music: 12 of 22
You Need to Read This If:- You were born in 1988 and spent the 80's soiling yourself and learning the alphabet.- You spent 1979-1989 in a Russian space station after which you had a chip implanted in your brain that puts you to sleep any time you're exposed to VH1, TBS Saturday morning movies, or radio stations that spin, "be... More..