Eric Ortiz | Southwest Connector

A crowd of book lovers flips through pages at the Twin Cities Book Festival. This year’s event is Saturday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Minnesota Srtate Fairgrounds. (Photo courtesy of Rain Taxi)

Read any good books lately? If you’re like many Americans, the answer is no. According to a 2022 Gallup poll, Americans are reading fewer books than in the past. The average number of books … more

By Eric Ortiz | 9/21/23

An Ella Baker student and her mom working together in class.

Calling all lifelong learners back to school

Learn something new every day. This isn't a new concept. Many smart people have espoused the virtues of learning. "Education begins at the level of the learner," said Aristotle, who believed … more

By Eric Ortiz | 9/9/23

The Bell family is even more interesting than you think.

The best of humanity is all around us

The Bells are not your average social media influencers. They are a family of 10 with seven adopted children. Heather Bell is the matriarch and keeps everything running with her husband, Luke, in the … more

By Eric Ortiz | 6/2/23

North High School assistant football coach and MPD officer Ricky Plunkett, right, talks with quarterback Deshaun Hill during the 2021 season.

‘Boys in Blue’ shows how to turn pain into power

The world is not black and white. But sometimes, it gets reduced to that.All cops are bad.All criminals are bad.All [insert any group] are bad.Those kinds of blanket statements are not helpful. … more

By Eric Ortiz | 1/19/23

Wedge resident Dave Whorton talks to community members before a neighborhood public safety walk. (Photo by Eric Ortiz)

It’s time to learn to walk again

Walking is one of those big early milestones in life. When you’re a kid, you have to walk before you can run. As you get older, walking is how we move through the world from task to task each … more

By Eric Ortiz | 12/13/22

A nativity scene depicting the birth of Jesus.

Nothing beats forgiveness — in any season

The holidays are here. You know what that means. It's the most wonderful time of year. Or the worst. Depends on how you feel about Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. And what they represent. … more

By Eric Ortiz | 12/1/22

Eric Ortiz, the author, resting at home after total ankle replacement surgery.

We don't need to live in suffering anymore

Pain is a terrible thing. Whether it's physical, emotional, or mental — pain hurts. I was in a lot of pain for many years. It was my right ankle. The pain was chronic and had become so bad in … more

Eric Ortiz | 11/17/22

Writer, professor and Rain Taxi board member Kris Bigalk, right, with author Margaret Hasse promoting her new book “The Call of Glacier Park” at the 2022 Twin Cities Book Festival in St. Paul.

Twin Cities literary scene opens new chapter

Did you know the Twin Cities have one of the top literary scenes in the United States? Not too many people associate Minneapolis and St. Paul with the avant-garde. But they are right up there with … more

Eric Ortiz | 11/3/22

Lupe Castillo, the co-founder of HeartSpeaks Healing Circles and Palabristas, shared her words of wisdom at a Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association’s Twin Cities Community Pop-Up Market at Mueller Park this summer.

Healing circles really do have the power to heal

Who is a storyteller? It's an important question these days because storytelling matters more than ever. Whoever controls the narrative controls history. A few years ago, a Nigerian writer named … more

Eric Ortiz | 10/11/22

Crixell Shell of the Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute talks with community members at the Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association's Twin Cities Community Pop-Up Market at Mueller Park on Aug. 20.

HOW TO CREATE HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS FOR EVERYONE

Minneapolis has 83 residential neighborhoods, 70 neighborhood associations, 13 wards, 11 communities and five precincts. If we do a health check based on gun violence, some of these places are not … more

Eric Ortiz | 9/21/22

Feeling good starts with gratitude

Birthdays are about a lot more than eating cake. Of course, it’s always nice to celebrate another trip around the sun. But it’s equally important to remember that we don’t make the … more

Eric Ortiz | 9/9/22

Eric Ortiz lives in the Wedge with his family. When he’s not community building, he’s the director of media for Big Edition and writes bilingual children’s books with his kids. Their first book, “How the Zookalex Saved the Village,” is available in English and Spanish.

Extremism leaves everything out of whack

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Sometimes, it feels like the whole world has gone crazy, and we're all on one big hamster … more

By Eric Ortiz | 8/3/22

You can learn a lot from youth sports coaching

Sports have been around since the dawn of human civilization thousands of years ago. But organized community youth sports are a little younger. They got started in the mid-1800s and became an … more

By Eric Ortiz | 7/27/22

New fellowship to help youth find their purpose

I heard a terrible story the other day from my friend. The story started with a young man arguing with his mom on a hot morning in Minneapolis. It ended with his death. After the argument, he shot … more

By Eric Ortiz | 7/13/22

Our future is at stake. But we still have a chance to do the right thing. (Zaur Ibrahimov/Unsplash)

We can do better to build peace

Everyone deserves an opportunity to reach their full potential. But not everyone gets that opportunity today. Due to a never-ending cycle of violence, dreams are being snatched daily. Violence is … more

by Eric Ortiz | 6/2/22