Hope

[close] NOBLEBRIGHT "Noblebright fantasy has at least one important character with noble, idealistic motives who does the right thing out of principle. The character is flawed, but his or her actions are generally defined by honesty, integrity, sacrifice, love, and kindness. The story upholds the goodness of the character; the character’s good qualities are not held up as naiveté, cluelessness, or stupidity, but rather shown to be worthwhile. Good characters can make a difference. Noblebright characters can learn and grow. They can deliberately choose to be kind when tempted to be unkind, they can choose generosity when it hurts, and they can influence their world and other characters for the better. In a noblebright story, even villains are not without hope; their stories may have a redemptive ending, or they may have some kind of conversion experience (religious or not). It’s not guaranteed, of course, but in a noblebright story, it’s a possibility. Noblebright fantasy is not utopian fiction. The world of a noblebright story is not perfect, and indeed can sometimes be quite dark. Actions have consequences, and even good characters can make terrible mistakes. But a noblebright story is generally hopeful in tone, even if there are plenty of bad, grim, dark things going on in the world." *found on noblebright.org*

[close] Encouraging the discussion of books and literature which are life-affirming and provide insights and tools to help people at risk avoid taking their own lives.

[close] Friends, would you care to partake in a learned discussion of current events, the global economy, writing, selling, film, and reading? Then gift us with the honor of your sophisticated opinions, queries and humor on board our trireme of World, Writing and Wealth and sail the seven seas with us!

[close] This group is for anyone who is Death Positive, death doulas, end-of-life midwives, hospice workers/volunteers, and anyone who has ever or will ever experience a death (yes, that means YOU!). We encourage open, honest discussion about the one thing that we are all guaranteed in this life, Death. My hope is that we can dull the fears, and return the sacredness of death to our universal consciousness, to allow everyone to live their unique life to its fullest until their last exhale. "We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born The potential people who could have been here in my place But who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of Sahara Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than Newton We know this because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA So massively exceeds the set of actual people In the teeth of those stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here We privileged few, who won the lottery of birth against all odds How dare we whine at our inevitable return to that prior state From which the vast majority have never stirred?" -Richard Dawkins