The subtle and deadly change of heart that might occur in you would be involved with the realization that a civilization is not destroyed by wicked people; it is not necessary that people be wicked but only that they be spineless. -From James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, published January 31, 1963.
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Posted inQuotes, Unapologetic Women
‘A Place of Refuge and Protection’: Roxane Gay Calls on Booksellers to ‘Rise to the Occasion’
“You are not just selling books. You are providing sanctuary. You are the stewards of sacred spaces.”
Posted inNonfiction, Profiles & Interviews, Quotes
Pablo Neruda on the Intersection of Politics and Poetry
In 1970, Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) sat down for an interview with The Paris Review just months before abandoning his campaign for president, running as the Chilean Communist Party candidate. American author Rita Guibert conducted the interview at Neruda’s home in Isla Negra, just south of Valparaiso: Oh, there is no advice to give to […]
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
On Fighting Terror, Trump Got It Totally Backward
What we can learn from one refugee family’s journey from Iraq to Colorado.
Posted inQuotes
Junot Díaz on What It’s Like to Be an Immigrant in America
“Who am I and how did I get here? The way I was doing it was through books.”
Posted inBlog Post, Quotes
Just One of Millions of American Immigrant Stories
This is me, just as I was about to immigrate to the United States. Before 1965, it was legal to ban immigrants based on nationality, and Asians in particular were targeted. It was actually referred to as an Asiatic Barred Zone. Then, Congress passed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, banning discrimination on the […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s Feminist Struggle
Her iconic main character inspired millions, but some argued the show needed to go even farther.
Posted inBooks, Nonfiction, Quotes
Author John Edgar Wideman on Isolation
The author of more than 20 books confronts personal tragedy and some truths about himself.
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
Learning to Live with a Panther in Your Backyard
“In the long run, the best thing for people and the best thing for wildlife will be the same.”
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
How Family Tragedy Shaped Steve Kerr’s Worldview
“His job gives him a platform. You will excuse him if he has a few things to say.”