By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist There’s something unique about traveling in a place where things are similar enough to be familiar, but different enough to make you latch onto its discrepancies with complete focus....
By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist Steam ripples off my coffee mug, fogging the glass of the large window in front of me. I use my shirt sleeve to wipe my view clear. A bustling...
By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist I spent an entire decade of my life in a tip-based industry, waiting tables, tending bar and tour-guiding at everything from college pubs to fine dining restaurants to après-ski...
By Emily Erickson Reader Contributor I’m not proud of my initial reaction to the Biden administration’s student loan debt forgiveness plan. The plan, announced last week, is a multi-pronged strategy to cancel $10,000 in...
By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist Now that it’s mid-August, it feels like summer has shifted just slightly, like it recognizes impending autumn on the horizon, while not quite letting go of the intensity of...
By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist I’m what I like to call a “silent observer” on the Sandpoint Rant and Rave Facebook page. I’m subscribed, but do not post or comment, or even allow new...
By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist As a society, we love optical illusions. All I have to do is mention “the dress” and memories flash back to global internet feuds and televised celebrity takes on...
By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist Growing up, I loved the Fourth of July. Leading up to the holiday, red, white and blue pennants were hung between buildings; grocery store displays featured sales on bomb...
By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist Of the few human behaviors I dislike outright, one that I particularly struggle with is ulterior motivation — being deliberately unclear about agendas in order to achieve some secret...
By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist Reader Publisher Ben Olson’s most recent “Back of the Book” piece, “The Morning After the Election” [May 19, 2022], had a phrase that I can’t get out of my...
