Andrea Cale
Andrea Cale (COM’02) of Harvard, Mass., is the author of The Corn Husk Experiment (Morgan James, 2018). “In advance of the novel, I created a nonfiction spinoff called the Good News Experiment, which highlights the work of community innovators with feature stories that run on my blog and are posted on social media, in addition to press releases that go out to the honoree’s local newspaper,” she writes. “This initiative has highlighted the work of four honorees so far, and all four have had newspaper coverage. The ripple effects have been encouraging. For example, Lola Alexander, a woman who overcame tragedies and dedicates her life to serving others in her community, received coverage in Boston’sDorchester Reporter. A local professor saw the story and invited her to speak at a Northeastern University bioethics forum. The Good News Experiment is in partnership with Boston’s Mothers for Justice and Equality, whose president, Monalisa Smith, helps identify honorees. The Good News Experiment emphasizes the connections we share with each other by highlighting stories of ‘helpers’ in the media. Unexpected connections and empathy are also themes in my novel, which takes readers on a journey with five relatable characters through a gritty, entertaining ride through life’s ups and downs before connecting at a stadium where unexpected things happen.”
From the Fall 2018 issue.