Carrie Tatro

Carrie Tatro

writer

Carrie Tatro is a freelance writer based in Atlanta, GA. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Lit with a minor in journalism from Georgia State University.

A seminary drop-out, her favorite theologians are Flannery O’Connor, David Sedaris and Alan Watts, who nailed it when he said, “Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.”

Carrie worked as a technical writer in Communications at the Georgia Tech Research Institute for several years before moving on to pursue her passion for books. She became the manager and buyer for a large collectible bookstore where she honed her skills and went on to enjoy 15 years as an independent bookseller, specializing in rare and out of print books.

She lives with her Virgo husband, George and four fur buddy canine rescues in an old house full of books, folk art, wagging tails and second-hand furniture. She enjoys laughing, day trips to quirky places, gardening and trail walking and is learning to play the ukulele.

Recent Contributions

Hoboes were a widely displaced brotherhood who illegally hopped trains and journeyed across the country, taking odd jobs wherever they could find them. The hobo code helped them survive.

By Carrie Tatro

Biochemically like a heron and anatomically similar to a pelican, the shoebill stork has been called "Monsterface" and even "Death Pelican." But wait until you hear the staccato rat-a-tat-tat of its booming machine-gun call.

By Carrie Tatro & Zach Taras

Sharks: They are the stuff of legend and the stuff of nightmares. But which are the biggest? Here are the top 10.

By Carrie Tatro

Advertisement

The Ethiopian calendar is seven years behind the Gregorian calendar, and time is measured there on a 12-hour clock.

By Carrie Tatro

Tiger lilies have it all - they're edible, have healing properties and act as perfect pollinator magnets. They're also long-lasting, strikingly beautiful and super easy to grow.

By Carrie Tatro

Ranunculus is a genus containing more than 600 species, all of which are beautiful, but toxic to both humans and animals.

By Carrie Tatro

You know your zodiac sign and maybe your birthstone, but did you know that you also have a birth flower?

By Carrie Tatro

Advertisement

One of the most expensive cups of coffee in the world is made from beans harvested from civet poop. Why would anybody want to drink it?

By Carrie Tatro

The pink fairy armadillo looks like something out of a children's book and is so rare that very few people have ever seen one.

By Carrie Tatro

Y'all, the contraction of the words "you" and "all," is making its move out of the American South to places as far afield as Australia.

By Carrie Tatro

Ever wondered why the first month of the year is called January? Or why September comes from the Latin word for seven when it's the ninth month? Here's how each month got its name.

By Carrie Tatro

Advertisement

Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, is all about slowing down and "bathing" yourself in the beauty of nature, which leads to psycho-emotional healing and stress reduction.

By Carrie Tatro

Originally a method of preserving the fall harvest for winter, hoshigaki (Japanese for dried persimmon) is a centuries-old Japanese delicacy that's easy to make but is remarkably time- and effort-intensive.

By Carrie Tatro

In 1957, a woman named Frances Kipps Spencer invented "Chrismons" to decorate her church's sanctuary and to remind parishioners of the true meaning behind the Christian celebration of Christmas.

By Carrie Tatro

Nearly 400 bird species are in danger of extinction by the end of this century and The Audubon Mural Project intends to depict every one of them.

By Carrie Tatro

Advertisement

From early wrapped objects to monumental outdoor projects, the work of the late artist Christo transcended the traditional bounds of painting, sculpture and architecture.

By Carrie Tatro

Lemonade has a long and storied history, from its beginnings in ancient Egypt all the way to current 21st-century pop culture.

By Carrie Tatro

Yes - it could happen to you, good person. KABOOM! It's fairly rare, but a potentially catastrophic rind failure lurks under the green-striped shell of every seemingly innocent watermelon in the produce aisle.

By Carrie Tatro

Are you really sure you want to know?

By Carrie Tatro

Advertisement

Believed to have operated between 1821 and 1861, the Saltwater Underground Railroad was the coastal escape route followed by fugitive slaves into the British-controlled Bahamas.

By Carrie Tatro

Does February have special historical significance in African-American history?

By Carrie Tatro

A sudden (or subsequent) temporary upsurge of grief, or STUG, can knock you off your feet and leave you in a puddle, but being aware of it can lessen its power.

By Carrie Tatro

Floriography - the association of flowers with special virtues and sentiments - has been a practice from antiquity to the present day.

By Carrie Tatro

Advertisement

Frederick Douglass' pivotal 19th century abolitionist newspaper has been relaunched for a 21st century audience.

By Carrie Tatro

The last vestiges of America's early transcontinental airmail beacon system still exist as giant arrows across the landscape.

By Carrie Tatro