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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Adding to My ‘To-Read’ List: “Women, Destruction, and the Avant-Garde”

Posted on31. Jan, 2012 by Jasmin Singer.

I dream of being an academic. But I’m not going to pretend that I am one. I often admire great thinkers who can take dense, heady material, make sense of it, and then offer a well-articulated response — or better…

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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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Book Review: “Unlikely Friendships” by Jennifer S. Holland

Posted on16. Jan, 2012 by Visiting Animal.

Joining us today in Our Hen House is attorney Samantha Rosenberg, who is giving us her take on the book, Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom, by Jennifer S. Holland. 

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A Look Inside Unlikely Friendships

Review by…

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Book Review (AND GIVEAWAY): “Super Immunity” by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

Posted on02. Jan, 2012 by Visiting Animal.

Suddenly, it’s 2012! Are we the only people who feel like we’re now existing in the future? Twenty-twelve… weird! Speaking of futures, this is the time of year when many of us focus on ours — reclaiming our health, making…

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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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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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Book Review (AND GIVEAWAY): “Healthy Eating, Healthy World” by J. Morris Hicks

Posted on17. Nov, 2011 by Visiting Animal.

Carrie Forrest, the mastermind behind the wildly popular blog, Carrie on Vegan (one of our go-to blogs for healthy recipes and insightful commentary), is joining us today as our guest reviewer. Carrie, who is currently a graduate student in public…

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You Should Go On a Virtual Tour

Posted on27. Oct, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

Our comrades over at Ashland Creek Press have a titillating new resource all about how to do a “virtual book tour.” Though it’s geared toward authors, it seems to me that anyone creating any kind of activist resource…

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Book Review: “Stories Rabbits Tell” by Susan E. Davis and Margo DeMello

Posted on26. Oct, 2011 by Visiting Animal.

Today we welcome guest-reviewer Laura Yasinitsky who is giving us the skinny on the book, Stories Rabbits Tell.

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Book Review: Stories Rabbits Tell by Susan E. Davis and Margo DeMello

Review by Laura Yasinitsky

As a child, I had…

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Book Review: “Out of Breath” by Blair Richmond

Posted on14. Oct, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

A teenager on the run (sort of literally – she is a competitive runner) from mysterious pursuers hides out in a small town, where she quickly finds herself being wooed by one suave and charming carnivore and one kind and…

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A Contest I Want to Enter

Posted on05. Oct, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

Competition can be stressful. For me, there’s that whole I-love-winning-I-hate-losing thing — just entering contests can cause me agida. I have a love/hate relationship with them… kind of like I do with jogging. Or cake.

But here’s a…

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Book Review: “Most Good, Least Harm” by Zoe Weil

Posted on04. Oct, 2011 by Visiting Animal.

Guest reviewer Lisa Rimmert is back, this time with a review of Most Good, Least Harm by Zoe Weil.

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Book Review: Most Good, Least Harm

Review by Lisa Rimmert

Millions of people throughout the world…

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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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Book Review: “Vegan for Life” by Jack Norris & Virginia Messina

Posted on15. Aug, 2011 by Visiting Animal.

We are delighted to welcome back reviewer Piper Hoffman, who has become an official member of our flock. 

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Book Review: “Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to Be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet”…

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Book Review: “The White Bone” by Barbara Gowdy

Posted on12. Aug, 2011 by Visiting Animal.

Today we’re excited to welcome guest-reviewer Kaitlyn Zafonte, who will give us her take on The White Bone by Barbara Gowdy.

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Book Review: The White Bone by Barbara Gowdy

Review by Kaitlyn Zafonte

When one thinks of talking elephants, something…

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Vote for Our Hen House!

Posted on04. Aug, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

Every day, Mariann and I post a different idea or opportunity to change the world for animals. Show your support by voting for Our Hen House as your favorite blog in this year’s VegNews Veggie Awards! It’s the…

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Book Review: “Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide for Caring for Self While Caring for Others”

Posted on02. Aug, 2011 by Visiting Animal.

Today, we welcome guest reviewer Lisa Rimmert who gives us her take on the book, Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide for Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky, and explains why animal activists in particular should…

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Chutki’s Experiences

Posted on29. Jul, 2011 by Mariann Sullivan.

Any animal lawyer knows that passing effective laws protecting animals, while hard enough in and of itself, is only the first step. An even greater challenge comes in getting those laws enforced and informing people of their obligations under the…

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Book Review: “Half Brother” by Kenneth Oppel

Posted on22. Jul, 2011 by Visiting Animal.

We’re delighted to welcome to Our Hen House guest reviewer Jena Mazzio, who gives us her take on the young adult novel, Half Brother, by Kenneth Oppel. 

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Book Review: Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel

Review by Jena Mazzio

Ben…

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Animal Rights Book Swap: Saving the World, One Good Read at a Time

Posted on12. Jul, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

I can’t even begin to explain to you how many animal rights books and vegan cookbooks we have. Mind you, we live in a 380 square foot apartment, and we’re constantly trying to optimize our space by making regular runs…

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Book Review: “Ethics and Animals: An Introduction”

Posted on05. Jul, 2011 by Visiting Animal.

We are delighted to welcome Piper Hoffman to Our Hen House as a guest reviewer. Today, she gives us her take on Ethics and Animals: An Introduction by Lori Gruen (Cambridge University Press, 2011).

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If you believe it…

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Book Review: “Whitewash: The Disturbing Truth About Cow’s Milk and Your Health”

Posted on29. Jun, 2011 by Jennifer Parrucci.

Our Hen House’s Jennifer Parrucci is back with yet another review, this one focusing on milk and all its ick factors.

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I admit it. For most of my life, I had a love affair with dairy. Every birthday…

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Book Review: “Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle with India”

Posted on24. Jun, 2011 by Visiting Animal.

We are delighted to welcome Sangamithra Iyer as our guest reviewer today. Sangamithra offers an insightful review of Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle with India by Joseph Lelyveld.

Book Review: “Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle with…

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A 99-Cent Gift for the Burgeoning Vegans in Your Life

Posted on07. Jun, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

Erik Marcus, from the illustrious resource Vegan.com, has just released the second edition of The Ultimate Vegan Guide: Compassionate Living Without Sacrifice, both in paperback and for Kindle. The short book succinctly details everything Erik…

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Activist Turns Story of “Lucky Pigs” Into a Children’s Book

Posted on06. Jun, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

You might have already heard of Nikki. Nikki was a pregnant sow who was one of the lucky ones who had a second chance at life, after being found by Farm Sanctuary during the 2008 Midwest floods that ravaged the…

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Book Review: “Animal Rights: What Everyone Needs to Know”

Posted on27. May, 2011 by Nick Laccetti.

Paul Waldau, the author of Animal Rights: What Everyone Needs to Know, is a scholar I have admired from afar for a while now. (That might sound a little creepy, but I swear, it’s academic.) As his website…

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Writing for Animal Rights

Posted on15. Apr, 2011 by Jasmin Singer.

Last night, I presented the second installment of the “Changemaker Series,” a collaboration between Our Hen House and Mercy for Animals. The first workshop, which I presented two months ago, was called “From Veganism to Activism” and focused on…

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Book Review: “An Introduction to Animals and the Law”

Posted on14. Mar, 2011 by Nick Laccetti.

One of the main avenues that we, as animal activists, use to create change is legislation – but we are bound to be ineffective without a working knowledge of the laws that currently govern animals in our society. The task…

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Book Review: “Fraser’s Penguins: A Journey to the Future in Antarctica”

Posted on04. Mar, 2011 by Jennifer Parrucci.

Reviewer Jennifer Parrucci is back with a review that will certainly wow and inspire.

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Book Review: Fraser’s Penguins: A Journey to the Future in Antarctica

by Jennifer Parrucci

I have a slight obsession with penguins. My…

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Book Review: The Wild Things

Posted on27. Jan, 2011 by Kyle Knies.

Our Hen House reviewer, Kyle Knies, is back yet again — this time reviewing one of his favorite novels, The Wild Things by Dave Eggers. His refreshing take is a reminder of  how, if we squint our eyes a little,…

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Book Review: Change of Heart

Posted on07. Dec, 2010 by Kyle Knies.

As activists, we work tirelessly to create change. For us, the issues run deep. But is the amount we care and the number of hours we work really what makes us effective activists? In Change of Heart: What Psychology Can Teach…

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