Time Out USA editors

Do you know your city better than anyone else? Do you have an eagle eye for trends about to sweep the country? Are you hilarious, witty and want America to know it? Okay, then come along for the ride.  What are we looking for? We want writers, thought leaders and experts who are plugged into a community, topic or beat around town and around America. If you’re tuned into something that you think should be featured on Time Out, then we want to know about it. It might be an undisovered coffee shop that everyone needs to know about. Or maybe a list of thoughts on why your hometown is the toughest city in the world. It could even be a hot piece of news that no one is talking about or your pick of America’s best roadside attractions. Or just a bunch of amazing pics. (Check out this and this for previous examples). Simply put, if you’re an authority on something that’s going on around town or the country, then contributing to our blog is a great way to let people around the city know about it. We won’t take just anyone, though. We’ll look into your writing style and overall knowledge to make sure that you’re a good fit. What’s in it for you? By blogging for Time Out, you’ll get exposure to our huge monthly audience. Each of your blog posts will include a link back to your personal work so you can show off all of the amazing things that you’re putting out. If it’s really good, we might share it across the Time Out network.  Think you’ve got what it takes? Fill out the form below and

Growing up in the Midwest means a lot of things—farms, flat land, a lack of experience spending time near bodies of saltwater. You're likely polite, refuse to turn up to an event empty-handed and have a definite grasp on life in four different seasons.  Let's face it, the Midwest is best.  1. Casserole is considered a food group. 2. You look people in the eyes, smile and say hello when walking down the street . 3. You know what’s knee-high by the Fourth of July. 4. You’ve vacationed in the Wisconsin Dells. 5. You find yourself asking for a pop. 6. You don’t understand how schools close for a “dusting” of snow  7. You’ve been to the state fair, and probably the neighboring states' fairs as well.  8. The Mall of America was your teenage mecca. 9. Bob Evans wasn't just a brand of sausage that you bought at grocery stores. 10. You know what Kringle is. 11. You ate "walking tacos" at high school football games. 12. You consider the Great Lakes to be better than any ocean. 13. Meat and potatoes are your vegan diet.  14. You or someone you know owns a lake house, likely complete with a pontoon boat. 15. You crave blue moon ice cream. 16. Pimento cheese is a staple at Christmas events. 17. On that note, you have no idea what constipation from too much cheese is. 18. Even if you don't call it a bubbler, you at least know what it is. 19. You have gone on a hay ride and picked a pumpkin out of an actual pumpkin patch. 20. Instead of "going camping" you say you're "going up north." 21. O

It's not a question of whether your heart broke when you first read To Kill a Mockingbird—it's a question of how many times. The late Harper Lee's novel is crammed full of gorgeous lines and heart-tugging sentiments that have shaped how generations of Americans think and feel. Indeed, the book has done so internationally—taught as it is in classrooms from Monroeville to Melbourne. Here, we remember Lee with a look at some of the most memorable and beautiful quotes from her celebrated novel. “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” “The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.” “I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.” “I was born good but had grown progressively worse every year.” “We're paying the highest tribute you can pay a man. We trust him to do right. It's that simple.” “Are you proud of yourself tonight that you have insulted a total stranger whose circumstances you know nothing about?” “You can't really get to know a person until you get in their shoes and walk around in them.”  “Before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself.” “People in their right minds never take pride in their talents.” "Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand." And then, of course, the novel's defining passage:  Atticus said to Jem one day, "I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go

The 58th annual Grammy Awards are set to take place on Monday night. But if you have better things to do than sit around and watch some of the world's most popular musicians commend one another, we've got you covered. In an effort to keep you from being left out of conversations about the ceremony on Tuesday, we compiled a list of Grammys talking points that will make people believe that you actually watched the awards.  "Did you see what Lady Gaga was wearing?" — She may not show up covered in T-bone steaks these days, but Gaga always manages to put together a divisive outfit. Plus, she's performing a tribute to David Bowie this year, so an outrageous getup seems even more likely than usual.  "Adele sounded amazing!" — 25 may not be Grammy eligible this year, but of course Adele is performing at the ceremony. And she's guaranteed to sound like an angel, because this is Adele that we're talking about. Did you even hear her Saturday Night Live performances? "I think I'm beginning to like Justin Bieber again." — Bieber has been diligently attempting to cast off his reputation as the King Joffrey of pop for the past year. No more smirking his way through award ceremonies in saggy leather pants—this year, he'll be cultivating a new crop of Bielibers by staying on his best behavior. “Did you think Uptown Funk was two years ago? I did too!” — When the Mark Ronson-produced track wins Record of the Year (because…it must!) you, like the rest of America, will wonder if we’re back in 20

Alan Rickman, a veteran British actor best-known for his role as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, passed away on Thursday at the age of 69. There are plenty of ways to commemorate Rickman’s wonderful life and career, but buying a cute Snape-themed craft or knick-knack off of Etsy isn’t a bad place to start. Snape birthday card from averycampbellART, $4.50 Hand-carved Snape rubber stamp from MajestyCreations, $20 Polyjuice Potion flask from WhirlyOnset, $21.99 Snape “Always” sweatshirt from FashionAveDistrict, $26.95 Snape tribute folded into Deathly Hallows from MaplewoodBookArt, $56 Trippy Snape watercolor from GenefyPrints, $11.40 Cartoon Snape iPhone case from PaulinaPaulinum, $19.80 Snape “Always” necklace from HandmadeJewelryGr, $7.62

America, we’re a little obsessed with what you’ve been doing to pumpkins this Halloween season. From the where-did-you-even-think-of-that-amazing (yes, that’s a Stefon Jack-O-Lantern) to the inevitable (a fire-breathing Donald Trump... #trumpkin), your carved pumpkins are blowing our minds. These are our favorites of the season so far, with a few from yesteryear for good measure.   A photo posted by Tee No Evil (@teenoevil) on Sep 23, 2015 at 9:10pm PDT   A photo posted by BIZARRE BEYOND BELIEF MAGAZINE (@bizarrebeyondbelief) on Oct 28, 2015 at 11:03am PDT   A photo posted by Andy Scarpulla (@andyisrad) on Oct 29, 2015 at 7:44pm PDT   A photo posted by Nick Copeland (@nickcopeland82) on Oct 29, 2015 at 8:26pm PDT   A photo posted by rabooka (@rabooka) on Oct 29, 2015 at 6:22pm PDT   A photo posted by 1971TN (@1971tn) on Oct 29, 2015 at 12:07pm PDT   A photo posted by Rachael Kolby (@rach2355) on Oct 29, 2015 at 5:33pm PDT   A photo posted by Samantha Alquist (@instahhhhsam) on Oct 31, 2013 at 2:34pm PDT   A photo posted by enriquezamanda (@enriquezamanda) on Oct 29, 2015 at 11:08pm PDT   A photo posted by #FalPal (@fallonfreakforlife) on Oct 30, 2014 at 1:52pm PDT   A photo posted by Dezz Supon (@dezzofthejungle1) on Oct 31, 2014 at 9:30am PDT   A photo posted by Kiril (@fluxtidedesigns) on Oct 30, 2015 at 7:59am PDT   A photo posted by @saramm86 on Nov 6, 2014 at 2:08pm PST