Our Hen House

Teaching Kids Compassion Through Storytelling and Art

Posted on03. Feb, 2012 by Jasmin Singer.

Nothing gets me — I mean kids — more excited than hands-on programs that allow them to take part in storytelling, art projects, and creative movement. When you combine that kind of creativity with animal advocacy and humane education, you…

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Download Free Videos of All Kinds of Animals, Then Show to the World

Posted on02. Feb, 2012 by Jasmin Singer.

Last year, we told you about Vegan Stock Photo, a site that allows bloggers and members of the media to download vegan food images, and pro-animal images — often for free, with attribution. Now, let me…

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Just Call Me “Ms. February”

Posted on01. Feb, 2012 by Jasmin Singer.

As I’ve talked about on the podcast, last year I submitted an application and some photos for a much sought after spot in the Pinups for Pitbulls calendar. Much to my off-the-charts excitement, this past fall,…

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Vegans Are Cool (But We Knew That Already…)

Posted on25. Jan, 2012 by Jasmin Singer.

Mariann and I are excited to be interviewed in the new paperback book, Vegans Are Cool, compiled by the passionate vegan advocate Kathy Divine — an Australian powerhouse who is responsible for the blog of the same name.…

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Book Review: “Primacy” by J.E. Fishman

Posted on23. Jan, 2012 by Jennifer Parrucci.

OHH reviewer Jennifer Parrucci is back, this time with a review of a new thriller, Primacy, by J.E. Fishman. 

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Growing up on Long Island, I heard tales of the spooky experiments that took place on Plum Island, a livestock…

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Review: “Leakey’s Ladies,” Exploring the Lives of Goodall, Fossey, and Galdikas

Posted on19. Jan, 2012 by Jasmin Singer.

If the animal rights community doesn’t yet know about the new play, Leakey’s Ladies, it’s time to rectify that immediately. Mariann and I had the true pleasure of seeing this “multidisciplinary exploration” of the lives of of Jane Goodall, Dian…

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“Antennae” Journal Focuses on Animal Advocacy and the Arts

Posted on22. Dec, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

Antennae is an online, UK-based journal centering around animal issues, with an academic bent, a focus on human-animal studies, and a propensity toward exploring the role of animals in the arts. It combines “academic writing, informative articles, and interviews with…

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NEW VIDEO: “Sue Coe: Art of the Animal”

Posted on20. Dec, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

Sue Coe is one of my heroes. She basically epitomizes the essence of our Art of the Animal video series, which features artists of all kinds who speak up for animals through their medium. We are, to say the least, thrilled…

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Animal Stories in Film: Inherently Exploitative? Potentially Eye-Opening?

Posted on19. Dec, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

I’m never quite sure what to do with big, glittery, animal-centric movies. You know the ones: Those red carpet-worthy Hollywood films boasting stars like Drew Barrymore and Ted Danson that tout feel-good messages like “Save the Whales!” On one hand,…

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Turkish Photographer’s Cutting-Edge Animal-Centric Exhibit

Posted on15. Dec, 2011 by Sally Tamarkin.

One morning in Washington, DC, when I was an undergrad and 24 hours from a deadline for an advanced black and white photography class, I was up at dawn, panic-stricken and standing on the corner of 21st and F, leaning…

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My (and Your) Holiday Giving Hangups Resolved: The Our Hen House Etsy Shop

Posted on09. Dec, 2011 by Sally Tamarkin.

You know how we’re supposed to like giving as much as we like receiving? It’s incredibly déclassé to admit this, particularly during the holiday season, but I’m pretty lukewarm on giving, while I totally love to get. I will rip…

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The Power of a Good Book

Posted on05. Dec, 2011 by Mariann Sullivan.

Books change the world. I mean, yeah, you can get a lot of information about everything on the internet machine, but how many of us would be wandering around in the dark, still eating animals, if we hadn’t had our…

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“Eating Animals” — The Play

Posted on18. Nov, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

When I was in college studying for my BFA in Theatre, I certainly played my fair share of roles — Queen Elizabeth in Mary Stuart, Charlotte in Flora the Red Menace, and, as part of my senior thesis, a one-woman-show…

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Call for Art and Photos: “Souls Awakened: The Animals Who Have Shaped Us”

Posted on16. Nov, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

The National Museum of Animals & Society is launching an online art and photo exhibit to “highlight the various ways in which animals have influenced us.” Entitled “Souls Awakened: The Animals Who Have Shaped Us,” this exhibit promises to…

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Bonus Gallery Supports Vegan Artists and Animal Rights Non-Profits

Posted on11. Nov, 2011 by Sally Tamarkin.

As a new vegan, I am thrilled to keep discovering that unexpectedly delightful cruelty-free alternatives aren’t just for nacho platters and ice cream sundaes. I can’t believe how much of my life I can compassionify. Sure, some of it I…

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“Eco-Pirate”

Posted on10. Nov, 2011 by Mariann Sullivan.

It’s almost impossible to quantify the number of people who have been introduced to thinking about animals in a new way by Paul Watson and the organization that he heads up, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.…

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One Hundred Crosses to Remember Animal Victims

Posted on07. Nov, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

We are newly smitten with the Spain-based International group, Animal Equality, for their World Vegan Day display held last week at the Centre of Madrid. According to their Facebook page, to recognize World Vegan Day, the…

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Commit to a Pit

Posted on04. Nov, 2011 by Jasmin and Mariann.

If there is one thing that makes us happy, it’s hearing about artists who are using their talent to spread the good word about animals. And if there’s one thing that makes us ecstatic, it’s hearing about people who are hell-bent…

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“Pigeon,” A Play

Posted on03. Nov, 2011 by Mariann Sullivan.

I have to admit that I know nothing about Dame Miriam Rothschild, who was a British naturalist, chemist, inventor and environmental activist who died in 2005 at the age of 96. But having heard about a new play…

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Vegan Knitting is Here (NEW VIDEO!)

Posted on02. Nov, 2011 by Mariann Sullivan.

I have always wanted to be that person. The one who could just turn out beautiful scarves, hats, sweaters, etc., etc.,  just by sitting on the couch and magically and effortlessly twirling her needles. Alas, I am, instead, the perennial…

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“Happy Thanksliving!” Coloring Zine (Really, You NEED This)

Posted on01. Nov, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

Just because I watch cartoons in the morning and occasionally have been known to cuddle a teddy bear (or stuffed elephant) as I drift off to sleep (hey, no shame here) does not mean that I am emotionally…

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“Myths and Logos” — Exhibit Explores Animal Imagery in the Media

Posted on17. Oct, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

Public Eye: Artists for Animals, a Philadelphia-area group that aims to “focus our lens on the interactions between human and nonhuman animals in order to shed light on hidden or ignored injustices and to promote a cruelty-free lifestyle,” has an…

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Art With a Message (Our Favorite Kind)

Posted on10. Oct, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

We have told you in the past about the work of Florida artist Sarah Kiser, highlighting one of her many art-videos that draw attention to the “Needless Suffering“ that animals endure, and reminding us all that “

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Vegan Talent Show to Raise Good Money

Posted on07. Oct, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

When I sent the Facebook event about the upcoming NYC Vegan Talent Show to Mariann, she could feel my overwhelming sense of eagerness and lust for it from across the room. “Oh, sweetheart…” she said, in sympathy of…

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“The Last Thing You’ll Ever See”

Posted on26. Sep, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

As we talked about on our most recent podcast episode, there is a Vegan Art Show going on here in New York City, and Mariann and I were lucky enough to attend last week’s popular

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Book Review: “Unsaid” by Neil Abramson

Posted on23. Sep, 2011 by Piper Hoffman.

Our Hen House reviewer, Piper Hoffman, is back with a review of a new novel, Unsaid.

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Animals talk with us. A purr, a tail wag, and a lick on the nose speak as clearly as any words.…

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“Some Animals” Can Make Us Laugh

Posted on22. Sep, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

When I was a kid, my favorite part of the paper was the funnies. On Sunday mornings, I’d wake up to a delicious breakfast of french toast or pancakes — the smell of which would waft through the house, luring…

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Opportunity for Animal Documentarians

Posted on21. Sep, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

For those of you animal-loving budding documentarians out there, the ACE Documentary Film Grant should be on your radar. ACE — that’s, Animal Content in Entertainment — is a program of the Humane Society of the United States, and can…

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Teaching Kids to Go Green, the Musical Way

Posted on15. Sep, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

I recently went gaga about an Australian children’s musician and storyteller, Renata (who has just one name, like Madonna, which accounts for part of my fascination). What makes Renata special is the unique and critical message she’s focusing on: she’s…

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“Animals in the Arts” Coming to the Big Apple

Posted on07. Sep, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

If you’re in NYC, you owe it to yourself to attend an upcoming presentation by vegan powerhouse, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau entitled, “Animals in the Arts.” This is a subject that is near and dear to  the hearts of…

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Film Analysis: “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

Posted on30. Aug, 2011 by Visiting Animal.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is packing them in at box offices everywhere, bringing with it a unique animal rights message. Activist Loredana Loy provides insight into the film, including her thoughts on the power that the animal…

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Art of the Animal: Myq Kaplan

Posted on24. Aug, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

Myq Kaplan is insanely hilarious. And he’s vegan. And no, that is not a typo. Not only was he a finalist for NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” but Myq’s CD — Vegan Mind Meld — was one of iTunes’…

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Madonna of the Mills on HBO

Posted on22. Aug, 2011 by Mariann Sullivan.

There are a lot of movies popping up that are bringing the word about what’s happening to animals to mainstream audiences. But not too many of them are making it on to HBO.

We were therefore so excited to hear…

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