Letter of Recommendation: David Byrne’s Reasons to Be Cheerful

You’d be forgiven for thinking the world was going to hell in a handbasket–even if you just stick to mainstream news. That’s why David Byrne’s (yes, that David Byrne) Reasons to Be Cheerful newsletter really hit the spot for me. It’s all stories about really amazing things that people are doing around the world to be kinder and juster to themselves and the planet. And no matter your politics, I think it’d be hard to argue that all these projects are making our world a better place to be. It’s fine to read the website, but sign up for the newsletter–it’s the regular dosage of right and good that makes the difference for me. If you want a sample, start here, with Ryan Moser’s piece on prison rehabilitation that I’m going to start assigning my freshmen as an example of how to write a compelling research essay.