Favorite Discoveries of 2014

I’m a late bloomer so some of these finds might be old news to you.  But they
made 2014 richer and better in my little world.  Enjoy!

1. Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote this article which may go down as one of the essential pieces of our time on race in the United States.  Required reading if we hope to understand the people who came to our nation as slaves.
2. Emiliano Sciarra invented the card game Bang! in 2002 but my family just discovered it in 2014.  Love. It.  Our favorite part: the cards are in both Italian and English, so we are learning essential terms like “Uccidere lo sceriffo!”  I have not yet won a round of Bang! but instead of being frustrated, I am in awe of Signore Sciarra.
3. Molly Zuckerman-Hartung is a Chicago-based painter whose art makes me think.  It also makes me happy.  Check here out here.
4. Maryam Mirzakhani is smarter than we are.  I would be content to hear her tell stories about her childhood in Iran or to watch her eat a sandwich.  She won the Fields Medal in 2014.
5. Brussel Sprouts became my go-to vegetable in 2014, redeemed after memories of nasty, overcooked versions consumed exactly one time in childhood in a meal that still leaves me gagging.  And now they are delicious.

Here’s to creativity and discover in 2015.  Happy New Year everyone!

Image of Maryam Mirzakhani and the beauty of math.