Tracy Briggs

1 week ago | inforum.com | Tracy Briggs

FARGO — I was planning to write another Back Then column today about something that happened in the 1920s. But then I talked to Amanda Lea. Our conversation made me pivot — still back in time, not to the 1920s, but 20 years ago, to the early 2000s, the roller coaster days of early motherhood, and the beautiful, messy chaos of trying to have it all. If you don’t know Amanda, you should.

2 weeks ago | inforum.com | Tracy Briggs

FARGO — Amanda Lea is usually all laughs and good vibes on Big 98.7’s Morning Show, which is exactly what you'd expect from an early morning radio host. But on Wednesday, listeners heard something totally unexpected: Amanda, through tears, shared a heartfelt message that stopped everyone in their tracks. You've been with me through every chapter of my life. Fifteen years ago, I sat behind this microphone for the first time, not knowing how much this show and all of you would come to mean to me.

2 weeks ago | inforum.com | Tracy Briggs

MOORHEAD — If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my six decades on Earth, it’s that every family has at least one pack rat — someone who just can’t part with things, no matter how impractical they may seem. In my family, that person is me. I tell myself, “One day, I might use that.” Or, “I remember how much fun I had when I wore that.”I even tried Marie Kondo-ing my belongings a few years ago. I was so hopeful. But it didn't stick. For me, vintage sparks joy.

2 weeks ago | inforum.com | Tracy Briggs

FARGO — Does anyone have good memories of gym class? For many of us, the answer is a resounding no, and some of us are still traumatized. I remember that day at Clara Barton Elementary School when I got nailed in the head playing dodgeball, and I realized "seeing stars" didn't just happen in cartoons. Years later at Fargo South High School, history repeated itself when I got slammed in the face with a broomball. Obviously, Fargo Public Schools failed to teach me how to duck.

2 weeks ago | inforum.com | Tracy Briggs

FARGO — Sunlight streams through the window of Melanie Rudd’s north Fargo office, illuminating a vibrant explosion of color — hot pink chairs, bold abstract art and a space as lively as the woman who created it. But for years, her personality was muted, silenced by a rigid religious upbringing and the weight of trauma. Now, through her new book, she’s using her voice to help other women find theirs. Rudd was raised in what she describes as a cult-like church.