Apr 17, 2019
A Wee Bit of Learning and Fun
By Stephen Wilson What one wish would you make if you caught a leprechaun? That question for fifth-graders may be easier to answer than naming their favorite…
English
Mar 7, 2019
Susan Orlean Finds Herself in the Library
By Stephen Wilson When Los Angeles Public Library caught fire in 1986, the blaze burned for seven and a half hours, reaching temperatures of 2,500 degrees…
Jan 24, 2019
The Class: “The 1960s: Causes and Effects”
The gist: The 1960s is one of the most interesting, controversial, and discussed decades of the 20th century. The music, social changes, moon landing,…
Jan 5, 2019
The Hymnal Makes ‘Genuine Contribution’
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the second-most common book in middle- and working-class households, after the Bible, was a hymnbook. The Hymnal: A…
Dec 20, 2018
Art and Animals
By Kathleen Parrish In 2005, Carrie Rohman’s two worlds collided when she attended a six-week course at Cornell School of Criticism and Theory. There…
Dec 19, 2018
The Class: “Spectacles of Revenge”
By Kathleen Parrish The backstory: It was Shakespeare who wrote, “And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?” Who hasn’t fantasized about raining…
Dec 15, 2018
The Class: “The Dog Course”
By Kathleen Parrish What’s it about? Humans’ complicated relationship with dogs. While they may be good for us—some scientists believe without them…
Dec 7, 2018
Becoming a Poet
By Kathleen Parrish Jovante Anderson ’19 won the Young Writers’ Prize for Poetry at the inaugural celebration of World Poetry Day in Jamaica this year…
Oct 4, 2018
From Books to Big Screen
By Kathleen Parrish How does a book get made into a movie? It varies depending on the project, but it often requires patience, perseverance, and knowing…
Aug 30, 2018
Listening to the Public Record
By Stephen Wilson Just after midnight Dec. 7, 1982, Charlie Brooks Jr. was the first man to be executed by lethal injection in the United States. While…