I have written about art, music, literature, education, sustainability, and social justice for publications, websites, and blogs. Here a few of my favorites.
Education
“The National Science Foundation Awards $5 Million to IDDP Team to Continue Work Assisting Journalists Facing Online Harassment” (GW Today)
Profile of the the Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics-led team focusing on developing support systems for women journalists.
“Creating Space for Asian American Stories” (GW Today)
George Washington University Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration closing keynote event featuring poet and author Ocean Vuong; and actor, producer, and musician Arden Cho.
Read more archived articles in GW Today here.
“Amplifying Voices,” (GW Law, p. 40) and “A Seat At the Table” (p. 42)
Alumni profiles for George Washington University School of Law’s magazine.
“Upgrading the Student Experience” (GW Law, p. 32) and “Bridging The Gap Between Law and Medicine” (p. 34)
Feature about space and tech upgrades at the George Washington University School of Law, and alumni profiles.
“What Is the Purpose of Education?“ (Education Update – ASCD)
If you were to ask even a relatively small group of teachers, administrators, students, parents, community members, business leaders, and policymakers to address the question of purpose, how difficult do you think it would be to reach a consensus? You might have better luck asking, “What is the meaning of life?”
“From Umbria to Ulaanbaatar” (Education Update – ASCD)
Three teachers discuss the exciting fellowships they received for professional development, travel, and cultural exploration.
“Challenging Content” (Education Update – ASCD)
Teaching banned books can help students hone their close reading and critical-thinking skills.
“Creating Global Classrooms” (Education Update – ASCD)
Strategies used by educators to build cultural fluency and understanding through teaching core subject areas and curriculum tie-ins.
Read more archived articles in ASCD’s Education Update here.
Creative Writing & Poetry
“Untitled (queen)” (BlazeVOX)
You
You are the queen of miracles.
“The Grocery Store” + “Begin the Begin” (BOOM+ Toolbox: Volume One + Volume Two – Mexican Cultural Institute Washington, DC)
Poem published in Volume One and short story published in Volume Two. Created during workshop with Mexican Cultural Institute Washington, DC.
“Of Matches and Men” (Words Apart, Emerson College)
Short story featuring Ángela, and connecting the history of the 1968 riots in Washington, DC, to a community movement against gentrification and urban removal in 1998.
“Road Trip” (Bohemia)
Flash fiction. Girl leaves home.
I Am Grateful (satsumabug.com blog)
“Last Monday I woke up with tears streaming down my face. I didn’t exactly know why but I had some ideas. Maybe I was dreaming about my broken heart. Or, I was feeling the cold settling into my soul—it’s going to be a long, cold winter. I can sense it.”
“Don’t Be Such a Whiny Baby” (satsumabug.com blog)
“Last week, I went on my first ever road trip with my mother. It was first time we got in the car going somewhere other than my grandmother’s house in Raleigh, or a funeral or Costco.”
Art
“A New Phillips Collection Exhibit Proves Nordic Art Isn’t Just Snowy Landscapes” (DCist) Nordic Impressions features 19th- and 20th-century work by Edvard Munch, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Vilhelm Hammershøi, as well as contemporary artists Katrín Sigurðardóttir, Ragnar Kjartansson, Ólafur Elíasson, and Outi Pieski.
“At The Hirshhorn’s Marcel Duchamp Exhibit, Viewing The Pieces Makes You Part Of The Art” (DCist)
The comprehensive exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden traces the career of 20th century artist and provocateur Marcel Duchamp.
A New African Art Museum Exhibit Shows How Jewelry Is Power For Senegalese Women (DCist)
Good as Gold: Fashioning Senegalese Women at the National Museum of African Art, is the first major exhibition of Senegalese gold jewelry that focuses on the history of Senegal’s gold, and the complex ways that Senegalese women have used jewelry and fashion to present themselves.
“The National Museum Of Women In The Arts’ Latest Exhibit Lets Local Artists Of Color Tell Their Own Stories” (DCist)
DMV Color features contemporary works of book art, highlights women of color connected to the local region, while also showcasing the D.C. area as fertile ground for the book arts.
“Trump Hotel Projectionist Robin Bell Reflects On The Corcoran’s Closed Mapplethorpe Exhibit In A New Show” (DCist)
The desire for openness, honesty, and transparency is the central concern of Bell’s new installation at the George Washington University Corcoran School of the Arts and Design.
“Antarctic Artists and Writers Program” (Black Coffee & Vinyl: Ice Culture)
Through the Antarctic Artists and Writers program, U.S.-based artists and writers can embed with scientific missions to experience the wonder of the one of the planet’s last frontiers.
“As Plain as Black and White: South African Photographer Michael Wyeth” (DC Scorpiongirl blog)
South African photographer discusses his photo series that captures the patrons of an underground, mixed race nightclub during the brutal apartheid era.
“Genocide, Through Children’s Eyes: PW Talks With Uwem Akpan” (Publishers Weekly)
Interview with Uwem Akpan about his debut collection, Say You’re One of Them.
Coffee
“Drinking Local in Reykjavík” (Fresh Cup)
A look at Iceland’s specialty coffee scene. In the capital city, local coffee businesses focus on sustainability, direct trade and quality.
“Welcome to Miami” (Fresh Cup)
Specialty coffee has spread across Miami. Through customer education and a focus on service and quality, a handful of pioneers have transformed the city’s coffee industry.
“Public Education Programs: To Do or Not to Do?” (Fresh Cup)
For companies with brick-and-mortar cafés, offering educational seminars can help staff reach customers on a more personal level.
“Coffee Beans & Vinyl Records in Portland, Maine” (Paste)
Q&A with Will Pratt, co-owner of Tandem Coffee, about Tandem’s relationship-driven supply chain, vinyl records and the local coffee culture.
“Tasting 7 Whiskey Flavored Coffees” (Paste)
For coffee lovers who hate to choose between night drinking and day drinking, your prayers have been answered. Bourbon and whiskey-flavored coffee is the latest trend in specialty coffee.
“10 Cool Indie Coffee Shops from Coast to Coast” (Paste)
It’s an exciting time to be a coffee addict. Across the country, independent coffee shops are changing the coffee game.
Music
“No Pressure: Bieber, Blackness & The Cult of Perfection” (The Rumpus)
Essay about Justin Bieber, race, American pop culture and the toll of celebrity.
(Various) Record Reviews (Audiofemme)
Reviews of releases of new and reissued on vinyl, including Modest Mouse’s The Moon & Antarctica, and Strangers to Ourselves; Hozier by Hozier; and The Score by The Fugees.
“All Fired Up” (University of Virginia alumni magazine)
Profile of UVA alum DJ Enferno (Eric Yao), who joined Madonna on a two-year run of her world tour.
Travel
“Take Five: Reykjavík’s Record Shops” (Paste)
Reykjavík may be a small city on a small island, but its vinyl culture is huge. A look at the five top record shops.
“Baptism By Fire and Ice: My Journey to Iceland” (blog)
Achieving a dream come true at the first annual Iceland Writers Retreat.
“Made in Banff” (blog)
My experience doing a writing residency in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada.
“Road Trip: The Nature of Reston” (The Washington Post)
A fun, quirky tour guide celebrating the history and culture of Reston, Virginia, which was one of the first planned communities in the nation.
Business
“Improving Diversity Onscreen and Behind the Scenes” (Colgate)
With an ambition of integrating more diversity, equity, and inclusion within the advertising space, Justin Polk cofounded the Invisible Collective.
Waste & Sustainability
“40 Under 40” interviews (Waste360)
Series of Q&A interviews profiling young professionals in the waste management industry who received the 40 Under 40 award for their career achievements.
“Summer Music Festivals Set Sights on Waste Diversion” (Waste360)
To make these multiday events more sustainable, across the country, several festivals have committed to making waste diversion part of the package.
“University of Texas at Austin Tackles Waste in the Workplace” (Waste360)
To reduce waste and divert more materials from the landfill, the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) launched the Zero Waste Workplace initiative.
“College Football Stadiums Tackle Waste” (Waste360)
To reduce waste generated during football games, colleges and universities, including University of Michigan, Ohio State University, and Duke University, have started to tackle better waste management practices in their football stadiums, with some hoping to close the loop completely by going zero waste.
Rethinking Building Design to Achieve Zero Waste (Waste360)
The Zero Waste Design Guidelines look at the role design has to play in achieving New York City’s goal of sending zero waste to landfill by 2030.
“USGBC Drives Innovation in Green Building” (USGBC+)
As new technology emerges, as more architects and builders push the boundaries, and more companies invest the time and effort required to build green, the U.S. Green Building Council is at the forefront of industry innovation.
Nonprofit & Social Justice
“Building Solutions to Black Hills Housing Challenges” (p. 30) and “Coast Guard Marathon Creates Buzz in Elizabeth City” (p. 32) (Great American Defense Communities)
Profiles of community programs recognized by the the annual Great American Defense Community program.
“Research on Well-Being in Fairbanks” (Great American Defense Communities, p. 28)
Extreme winter temperatures, the unforgiving arctic terrain and stretches of endless daylight or deep darkness can all be daunting for members of the military and their families when settling into a posting at one of the military installations in Fairbanks, Alaska. The U.S. Army has prioritized new efforts to prepare the military community for life in the region, build resiliency and prevent personal crisis.
“Breaking the cycle of addiction and homelessness” (NeighborWorks America blog)
Robert Morales is on a mission to revolutionize care for people experiencing homelessness. He serves as the coordinator and supervisor for specialists at PARES, a pilot program in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“Making the homeownership dream possible for more minorities” (NeighborWorks America blog)
Three NeighborWorks organizations share their best practices and strategies for engaging minorities in the homeownership process by using translated materials, offering culturally-appropriate education classes, tailoring services and leveraging their partnerships in order to make homeownership more accessible.
Read more archived blog posts for NeighborWorks America here.
Press Coverage
“Scorpion” (Keep Your Ear to the Ground: A History of Punk Fanzines in Washington, DC by John R. Davis, Georgetown Press)
Interview about my punk/personal/feminist ‘zine, Scorpion.
“US fan: Why I’m rooting for Iceland in Euro 2016” (Iceland Monitor)
“When I was last in Reykjavik, the Iceland national football team beat the Netherlands. Fans were screaming, dancing on tables and banging drums in Ingólfstorg square. Everyone was going nuts. I loved the energy and the happiness and the pride. I thought to myself, ‘Man, Icelanders love them some soccer.’ I didn’t know at the moment that the nation was on the brink of football history.”
Ice Culture : Interview with Willona Sloan (Arts Territory Exchange blog)
Interview about curating the global, multimedia art project Black Coffee & Vinyl Presents: Ice Culture.
“This Show Flyer Could Be Your Life” (Washington City Paper)
Interview about Come To Our Show: Punk Show Flyers from D.C. to Down Under.
DreamGirl Willona Sloan: Educational Writer & Founder of “Writing With Willona” Workshop Series (The Frugal Feminista)
Interview with Kara (The Frugal Feminista founder, author, and financial coach) about my writing life and business, Writing with Willona LLC.
“Strike A Prose: Every Picture Tells A Story” (Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery blog)
Highlight of my “Strike A Prose” creative writing workshop series for the Portrait Gallery, which launched in 2016 (concluded in 2025).
“Come to Our Show: a Punk Flyer eBook” (Maximum Rocknroll)
Review of Come To Our Show: Punk Show Flyers from D.C. to Down Under by the legendary punk ‘zine Maximum Rocknroll.
“Punk: A Community, A Lifestyle, A Conversation with Willona Sloan” (The Tonic)
Interview about Come To Our Show: Punk Show Flyers from D.C. to Down Under and my writing life.
Willona M. Sloan 