Would you like to know how many people have visited this page? Or how reputable the author is? Simply
sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.
 |
Meryl Ann Butler is an artist, author, educator and OpedNews Managing Editor who has been actively engaged in utilizing the arts as stepping-stones toward joy-filled wellbeing since she was a hippie. She began writing for OpEdNews in Feb, 2004. She became a Senior Editor in August 2012 and Managing Editor in January, 2013. In June, 2015, the combined views on her articles, diaries and quick link contributions topped one million. She was particularly happy that her article about Bree Newsome removing the Confederate flag was the one that put her past the million mark. Her art in a wide variety of media can be seen on her YouTube video, "Visionary Artist Meryl Ann Butler on Creativity and Joy" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcGs2r_66QE A NYC native, her response to 9-11 was to pen an invitation to healing through creativity, entitled, "90-Minute Quilts: 15+ Projects You Can Stitch in an Afternoon" (Krause 2006), which is a bestseller in the craft field. The sequel, MORE 90-Minute Quilts: 20+ Quick and Easy Projects With Triangles and Squares was released in April, 2011. Her popular video, How to Stitch a Quilt in 90 Minutes with Meryl Ann Butler can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrShGOQaJQ8 She has been active in a number of international, arts-related projects as a citizen diplomat, and was arts advisor to Baltimore's CIUSSR (Center for Improving US-Soviet Relations), 1987-89. She made two trips to the former USSR in 1987 and 1988 to speak to artists, craftpeople and fashion designers on the topic of utilizing the arts as a tool for global wellbeing. She created the historical "First US-Soviet Children's Peace Quilt Exchange Project" in 1987-88, which was the first time a reciprocal quilt was given to the US from the former USSR. Her artwork is in collections across the globe. Meryl Ann is a founding member of The Labyrinth Society and has been building labyrinths since 1992. She publishes an annual article about the topic on OpEdNews on World Labyrinth Day, the first Saturday in May. OpEdNews Senior Editor Joan Brunwasser interviewed Meryl Ann in "Beyond Surviving: How to Thrive in Challenging Times" at https://www.opednews.com/articles/Beyond-Surviving--How-to-by-Joan-Brunwasser-Anxiety_Appreciation_Coronavirus_Creativity-200318-988.html Find out more about Meryl Ann's artistic life in "OEN Managing Ed, Meryl Ann Butler, Featured on the Other Side of the Byline" at https://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/OEN-Managing-Ed-Meryl-Ann-in-Life_Arts-Artistic_Artists_Quilt-170917-615.html On Feb 11, 2017, Senior Editor Joan Brunwasser interviewed Meryl Ann in Pink Power: Sister March, Norfolk, VA at http://www.opednews.com/articles/Pink-Power-Sister-March--by-Joan-Brunwasser-p*ssy-Hats-170212-681.html "Creativity and Healing: The Work of Meryl Ann Butler" by Burl Hall is at http://www.opednews.com/articles/Creativity-and-Healing--T-by-Burl-Hall-130414-18.html Burl and Merry Hall interviewed Meryl Ann on their BlogTalk radio show, "Envision This," at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/envision-this/2013/04/11/meryl-ann-butler-art-as-a-medicine-for-the-soul Archived articles www.opednews.com/author/author1820.html Older archived articles, from before May 2005 are here. OpEd News Member for 1021 week(s) and 0 day(s) 1006 Articles, 2422 Quick Links, 7102 Comments, 8 Diaries, 106 Series, 0 Polls
\
1690 Quicklinks
Page 1 of 85 First Last Back Next 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 View All 
Friday, December 26, 2025
Working Families Party Endorses Analilia Mejia in NJ-11 Primary - Working Families Party SHARE 
?We?re thrilled to endorse Analilia Mejia for Congress. She?s a proven fighter and policy leader who knows exactly what it takes to deliver for working families,??said Antoinette Miles, state director for the NJ Working Families Party.??When leaders in both parties said we couldn?t raise wages or guarantee sick days for workers, Analila got it done. She knows that the status quo has left far too many families behind, and she won?t fold to corporations or billionaires. The WFP is all in to get her to Washington.?
Tuesday, December 2, 2025
"Ugly", "piggy": Trump is out to shame women into submission SHARE
With "ugly," "piggy", Trump is out to shame women into submission. If this is what passes for 'telling it like it is,' the bar for leadership has sunk far lower than any of us should accept...Democracy depends on people willing to ask uncomfortable questions. But calling a woman piggy isnt holding the press accountable. Its the oldest trick in the autocrats handbook: Humiliate the critic so you dont have to answer the criticism.
What troubles me most isnt just the insult itself. Its the applause for it the way some cheer cruelty if it comes wrapped in their teams colors. The way grown men laugh at a woman being demeaned.
The way people confuse bullying with strength.
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Mamdani's Arts and Culture Transition Committee SHARE
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced the 28 members of his Committee on Arts and Culture, one of 17 advisory committees formed ahead of his inauguration. During a news conference in Central Parks Conservatory Garden on Nov. 24, Mamdani said the more than 400 appointees across committees "were all united in a love for hard work, a deep belief in the promise of New York City, and a commitment to the affordability agenda that New Yorkers are demanding." Members include former NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Commissioner Gonzalo Casals, curator and critic Kimberly Drew, Brooklyn Childrens Museum President Atiba Edwards, poet and Mellon Foundation President Elizabeth Alexander, The Kitchen Executive Director and Chief Curator Legacy Russell, and Hiba Abid, the New York Public Librarys first-ever curator of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies.
(1 comments)
Saturday, November 22, 2025
Turning Point Leader and ex-lawmaker pleads guilty to attempted election fraud SHARE
Turning Point leader and former GOP state legislator Austin Smith pleaded guilty Monday to what he previously called ludicrous charges, that he personally forged more than 100 signatures on his petitions for reelection last year. He was a member of the far-right Arizona Freedom Caucus, which has a history of spreading false claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election and pushed for election law changes in the state legislature. At the time he was indicted, Smith was strategic director of Turning Point Action, Turning Point USA's advocacy arm. The far-right organization, founded by Charlie Kirk who wasshot and killed in September, is based in Phoenix and aims to mobilize young conservatives.
Friday, November 21, 2025
Gay Sheep Make Their High Fashion Debut in NYC SHARE
Last week a knitwear collection by celebrity designer Michael Schmidt, "I Wool Survive", debuted in NYC. It featured pieces made with fiber from the world's first flock of gay sheep from a farm in Germany, overseen by Michael Stcke. Stcke, an openly gay man, rescues gay rams, male sexually-oriented sheep, that his company Rainbow Wool claims are often slaughtered because they don't procreate. Scientists estimate that as many as 8%of rams are sexually oriented toward other males...The unbahhhhlievable pieces, inspired by fantasy and fetish including knit leather daddy, slutty Adam from Genesis, Knight, and a woven Greco-Roman figure will be auctioned to benefit LGBTQ+ causes at a later date.
Series: Quilting and Fiber Arts (5 Articles, 58186 views) 
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Bernie Sanders Says a Mamdani Win Can Transform American Politics SHARE
John Nichols---Sanders knows that if Zohran Mamdani is elected as mayor of New York City on Tuesday, it will matter most profoundly for the people of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. But the Brooklyn-born senator from Vermont believes that a victory for his fellow democratic socialist will resonate far beyond Americas largest city.I consider the New York City mayors race enormously important, not just for New York City but as a very profound statement in terms of whats happening all over this country, Sanders tellsThe Nationin an exclusive interview. I think there is profound disgust at the political establishment. People want real change, and a strong victory on the part of Mamdani, I think, will inspire people all across our country to fight for that change.
Saturday, November 1, 2025
SNAP runs out of money Nov. 1. Here's what that means in your state SHARE
Reporters from the NPR Network are covering the impact of this potential lapse in states across the country. The federal government shutdown continues without an end in sight. ... tens of millions of people are at risk of losing federal food and nutrition benefits as a result. This includes the nearly 42 million people who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, previously known as food stamps.
The Trump administration has warned that the debit-like EBT cards will not be refilled and that the program runs out of money on Nov. 1.
SNAP, the country's largest anti-hunger program, dates back to the Great Depression and has never been disrupted this way. Most recipients are seniors, families with kids and people with disabilities. States are trying to sort out what options they can offer beneficiaries to fill the gap in food assistance.
Friday, October 31, 2025
Will the Real Bill de Blasio Please Stand Up? SHARE
Bill de Blasio:"Just before 5 PM on Tuesday, I saw a text from a New York Postreporter asking for comment on my interview with the Murdoch-owned Times of London about (reversing my stance on) Zohran Mamdani. The problem was: I had never given an interview to The Times." --The Nation Magazine:
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
How to Protect Your Right to Culture SHARE
The right to culture is fundamental, and its revocation has grave consequences for the texture of daily life.The United States government's coordinated repeal of the right to culture has grave consequences for the texture of our daily lives. But there are ways to fight back.
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Former GOP election official buys Dominion Voting Systems SHARE
Voting Systems, the election vendor that was falsely accused of rigging the 2020 election, is being sold and rebranded as Liberty Vote effective immediately.The Liberty Vote announcement also says its actions will be in compliance with President Trumps executive order, signed earlier this year, on election integrity. Parts of that order have already been blocked by a federal judge, and leading election experts have said the order is likely unconstitutional.
Thursday, October 9, 2025
Mahmoud Khalil Warns That the US Is Failing the Palestine Test SHARE
Perhaps youve heard of the Palestine Exception, the idea that all sorts of behaviors and speech that are acceptable in other contexts are denied and punished when it comes to advocacy around Palestine. But what if the treatment of Palestinians wasn't an exception, but a stress test? A test of our tolerance as a nation and as a people, for cruelty and the consolidation of authoritarian rule. Authoritarians name an enemy, declare an emergency, and, on that pretext, invoke extraordinary, often military, powers to shock and intimidate credible sources of opposition and dissent, including politicians, the law, the media, the academy, free speech, and even the truth itself.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
OSHA Admits It Told Healthcare Employers Not to Report COVID Vaccine Injuries SHARE
After a whistleblower alerted The Defender, an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) spokesperson confirmed an internal directive telling healthcare employers not to report or track COVID-19 vaccine injuries. The directive stated that OSHA, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor, would not track workers COVID-19 vaccine adverse events even though it acknowledged that the vaccines may cause injuries that would require employees to take time off work. OSHA continued to track reactions to other vaccines.
Saturday, September 20, 2025
Behind Many a Great Male Writer Is a Woman Holding a Pen SHARE
The success of many iconic male writers was due in part to women whose contributions are rarely known and acknowledged. Some of the most beloved and acclaimed male writers had help from their wives when writing, and while some of them acknowledged those contributions, others let their spouses remain unappreciated. These women inspired, edited, typed, translated, or even partially wrote many influential works, but their names rarely appeared on the cover alongside their husbands.
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Dems Break GOP Supermajority in Iowa state Senate SHARE
In an indication of anupcoming Blue Wave, Dem Catelin Drey flipped an open Iowa state Senate seat, defeating GOP Christopher Prosch,in the race to replace the late state Sen. Rocky De Witt (R), who died in June from cancer.The extra Democratic vote, which will bring the margin in the chamber to 33 GOPs to 17 Dems, will ensure that the governor's nominees cant get approved on a party-line vote. The district voted for Trump in 2024 by more than 11 points, but now "wants change."
Thursday, August 21, 2025
Time for Democrats to Get With the Program SHARE
In the wake of the Democratic Party's brutal losses in the 2024 elections, a new movement of defiant economic populist candidates is seizing the Democratic political world by storm. Most prominent among them, of course, is Zohran Mamdani, who crushed corrupt, abusive, conservative Dem Andrew Cuomo in a dominating primary victory on a democratic socialist platform laser-focused on bread-and-butter economics. He's joined by Nathan Sage, a mechanic from Iowa challenging Joni Ernst, and Dan Osborn, an independent union leader challenging billionaire Republican Pete Ricketts, both of whom are running explicitly anti-billionaire populist platforms. Congressional candidates Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, Robert Peters in Illinois, and Rebecca Cooke in Wisconsin are all joining Bernie Sanders on his Fight The Oligarchy tour that is turning out packed crowds in red and blue states alike.
(1 comments)
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Sub-versive DC Protester Becomes Memeorable SHARE
Nothing outsmarts aspiring autocrats and their flunkies as much as humorous resistance, and the latest unlikely peoples' hero was sporting a Subway sandwich that he famously flung at US Customs and Border Protection officers last week in Washington, DC. Don't miss these memes and other tributes to the hero with a hero!
Monday, August 11, 2025
Letitia James, New Yorks Badass AG- The Nation SHARE
No attorney general in the country is battling Pres. Trump more proficientlyand drawing more of his firethan James. When Trump was out of office, she brought the successful civil case charging him and his company with business fraud for alternately inflating and deflating the value of his assets in order to reduce property taxes and obtain favorable rates from banks and insurance companies. The case resulted in a $454 million fine, which Trump is appealing.
Since Trump's reelection, James has emerged as a North Star in the chaos, inspiring progressives in NY and nationally. "Tish James and the other state AGs on the front lines of this fight are not only defending a Constitution and federal laws against a Supreme Leader and lawless autocrats, says Jamie Raskin (D-MD). "They are also showing the country what real attorneys general do..."
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Report Exposes How Major American Corporations Aid Israeli's Atrocities in Gaza SHARE
Francesca Albanese's expose, "From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide" lays bare how major American corporations have been all too eager to facilitate Israel's atrocities in Gaza in exchange for billions of dollars in revenue. It also reveals our nation's now undeniable complicity in what has been described as the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century. Thousands of famished people waiting hours in 90-degree heat to secure bags of flour that run out in minutes is a typical scene at the 4 aid distribution centers remaining in Gaza. The cause of this desperation isn't shortages per se, because the World Food Programme has 116,000 metric tons of food waiting to be delivered to malnourished Palestinians. Instead, the problem is Israel's monthslong blockade of aid, which over 100 humanitarian organizations have stated is causing chaos, starvation, and death.
Thursday, July 17, 2025
"Wall Of Shame": Brooklyn Art Installation Spotlights Pardoned Insurrectionists SHARE
On July 4th, in the heart of Brooklyn, artist Phil Buehler and the team at Radio Free Brooklyn unveiled Wall of Shame, a striking outdoor installation that confronts the legacy of the January 6 Capitol insurrection. Installed along a 50-foot stretch of chain-link fencing outside Pine Box Rock Shop, the project presents a sobering archive of over 1,500 individuals involved in the riot, many of whom have since received pardons or had their sentences reduced. The installation displays photos with the stories and crimes: "pushed a police officer over a railing," "charged the Capitol with a flagpole," "destroyed government property." The mural doesn't ask viewers to judge. It forces them to bear witness.
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Summer Camp Kids Did Not Have to Die in the Texas Floods SHARE
In May, five former directors of the National Weather Service wrote that the budget cuts could leave weather forecast offices so understaffed that there will be needless loss of life. The NWS, which lost 500 staff positions since the Trump-Musk budget cuts, provides the data and analysis that inform virtually all of the weather forecasts Americans receive. Early reports indicate that the problem in Texas was that the budget cuts crippled the NWS's ability to warn residents about the oncoming flash floods. It's not that the service's scientists didn't forecast the potential flooding accurately enough; it's that the service's communications staff had been so shrunk that the forecasts were not shared promptly with the public and emergency managers. Only hours after NWS issued its storm and flood warning did safety officials pass that warning on to the general public.
Page 1 of 85 First Last Back Next 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 View All |
