“How the hell do you start a letter to the UN?” If you’re Al Santamaria, you do it with the absolute conviction that your entreaty for their recognition of your family’s estate will be heard and respected—because you are a... Read More

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson owned slaves and slept around. Whether those not-so-small peccadilloes take away from their role in forming this country is a matter of debate. But the larger point is that no one escapes this life... Read More

Probiotics are the miracle cure of our age, if we take the advertising world at its word. And yet, the conclusive studies and research haven’t nearly caught up with the claims of the marketers. It’s still early, folks. But... Read More

Part of what makes "Sudden Spring" so compelling is that Rick Van Noy is not a scientist who studies climate change; rather, he writes from the perspective of a curious, concerned citizen who wants to understand its impact. With a... Read More

A lighthearted story, "Penguin Days" follows Lauren, who is on the autism spectrum. She sometimes misreads social cues, like not understanding why others laugh; she is not always included in groups. Still, Lauren is a rambunctious... Read More

Michelle Ann Abate’s "Funny Girls" is fascinating, focusing on an oft ignored component of Golden Age comics: preadolescent girl characters. It contextualizes and analyzes a number of wildly successful but academically ignored... Read More

A century of American race relations is seen in "Sacred Ground", civil rights activist and historian Timuel D. Black Jr.’s story as it was related to, and recorded by, Susan Klonsky. Black was born in 1918 in Alabama. His family soon... Read More

Combining personal experiences with scholarly insight, Tressie McMillan Cottom’s Thick: And Other Essays is essential reading for our times. These essays examine race, feminism, and culture with fierce intelligence. The collection... Read More