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Catalyst Magazine •

Little Free Libraries - Catalyst Magazine

The non-profit Little Free Library (LFL) was started in 2009 by Todd Bol in Hudson, Wisconsin. Thinking of his mother, a bibliophilic teacher, he built a miniature one-room schoolhouse and put it on a post in his front yard. He filled the schoolhouse with books. Bol encouraged his friends and neighbors to take the books and leave any of their own, to share with others. The schoolhouse was a success and led to Bol building more to give to these friends and neighbors.
This project eventually caugh...
Catalyst Magazine •

Farmer’s Market spotlight: Keep It Real Vegetables - Catalyst Magazine

Tyler Montague and Holiday Dalgleish made an important decision about six years ago. They decided that it was time for them to collaborate on a farming project.
This led to the birth of Keep It Real Vegetables, an urban farm dedicated to organic growing methods and producing rarer and more interesting products.
Montague and Dalgleish believe that when it comes to farming, “simple is better.”
So, they practice regenerative agriculture. Meaning they don’t use any chemicals on their plants. They tr...
Voices of Utah •

Utah nonprofit, ONErefugee, lending a hand to refugees

Story by KATHERINE ROGERS
Starting college and going out into the workforce are intimidating feats. Most students need all the help they can get, even if it is in their hometown. Then there are some who are facing the prospects, but with challenges many of us can hardly relate to.
They are facing them as refugees — people who were forced to leave their homes for fear of their safety, and are now thrown into an unfamiliar, sometimes unwelcoming environment.
In Utah there is a nonprofit for those...
Voices of Utah •

Salt Lake County’s inland port: Helpful or harmful for the Latinx community?

Story and photos by KATHERINE ROGERS
Elitzer stood in the doorway of Franklin Elementary School’s gym on Feb. 28.
That evening, the gym hosted a panel about the proposed inland port that is to be built in Salt Lake County. She was watching the proceedings, but not participating in the questioning.
“I wish they would do something in Spanish,” says Elitzer, who asked that her last name not be used. She speaks English well, but it’s not her first language. Spanish is much more comfortable for her....
Catalyst Magazine •

Desert-loving author gives a reading at King’s English - Catalyst Magazine

Bruce Berger is many things. He is a Yale graduate, a professional pianist and a world traveler. What he’s best known for is his writing: essays and poetry aimed at exploring the relationship between nature and culture, generally focusing in the desert. Now he’s bringing these writings to Salt Lake.
On March 15, at 7pm Berger will be at the King’s English Bookshop to read from, discuss and sign his most recent book, A Desert Harvest: New and Selected Essays.
This new collection, scheduled for re...
Catalyst Magazine •

Winter Market Spotlight: The story behind Cru Kombucha - Catalyst Magazine

Cru Kombucha started with Red Bull. Zachary Twombly noticed that his friend, Christian Alber, was drinking a lot of the energy drink. Knowing how that can mess with your stomach, Twombly introduced Alber to the beloved probiotic, kombucha.
The two both like to try new things in the kitchen, so it didn’t take too long for them to try brewing the fermented favorite themselves. It took some experimenting, but soon Alber and Twombly had some kombucha for their friends to try.
That use of friend guin...
Voices of Utah •

Leveling the playing field with Dual Language Immersion

Story and photo by KATHERINE ROGERS
Jess Martinez’s fifth-grade classroom looks like any other at Riverside Elementary in West Jordan.
Desks are pushed together to make small tables. There’s a row of hooks for the kids to hang their coats and backpacks on. Posters with encouraging sentiments cover the walls. Remnants of the day’s lessons are still up on the whiteboard.
This room would not stand out in a mainly English-speaking school, yet the posters and lesson are all in Spanish. Martinez is th...
Catalyst Magazine •

Sundance 2019: The Elephant Queen - Catalyst Magazine

Athena is 50 years old. She is a mother and, like her namesake, a wise leader. She is beautiful and big. She has the longest tusks out of her whole family. She is the matriarch of a herd of elephants in the African savanna. She is the Elephant Queen.
The Elephant Queen premiered as part of the kids’ section of the Sundance Film Festival on January 26. Directed by Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble and narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor, this film is fun and touching. It focuses entirely on the animals of...
Catalyst Magazine •

Standing Ovation for Plan-B's "Good Standing" - Catalyst Magazine

“Good Standing,” written by Matthew Greene, directed by Jerry Rapier and produced by Plan-B Theatre, is a solo play about Curt Brown, a gay Mormon who just married the love of his life. Now he is facing excommunication from the church that he was raised in. Set in the disciplinary hearing that is referred to as a “trial of love” where Curt must face 12 men, six advocating for him, six against, trying to decide whether he should remain a “Mormon in good standing.” Each of these men giving his tho...
Catalyst Magazine •

Environmentalist authors discuss nature, love and living green at SLPL for Utah Humanities Book Festival - Catalyst Magazine

For the 21st year, Utah Humanities hosts their Book Festival: This state-wide, six-week event is a chance for people to explore new books and hear from the authors. This year the festival is just as busy as always, including a reading by authors Nicole Walker and Julia Corbett, two authors dedicated to the environment, and our very human relationship with it.
On October 3, at 7 P.M. these two authors will be at the Salt Lake City Public Library. Walker and Corbett will read from and discuss thei...
U NewsWriting •

For the love of books

Story and gallery by KATHERINE ROGERS
The tinkle of a bell, the smell of paper, the sight of colorful covers on the shelves, a friendly face greeting you from behind a counter. Nothing is quite like the feeling of an independent bookstore.
The local bookstore is a unique place. Each of the following bookstores brings something different to the community. All of them create a place for lovers of literature of all kinds to find their people.
The King’s English Bookshop, located at 1511 S. 1500 Eas...