It’s easy enough to cast Donald Trump as the Wizard in the Wicked film adaptation released in November—perhaps as easy as it was to see George W. Bush in the role when the stage musical debuted on Broadway in October 2003. One might notice the glaring similarities between the three: the desire to construct an […]
Defying Empire: On the Perennially Relevant Political Message of Wicked Read More »
What is your favorite smell? This question may seem banal, but think carefully, because your answer will say something about who you are. Our most meaningful smells evoke intimate feelings, similar to how we are affected by music or art. It is almost impossible to talk about your favorite smell without getting personal. The smell
An Emotional Time Machine: How Our Sense of Smell Can Unlock Childhood Memories Read More »
What roles do place and memory play in the construction of a narrative? In this conversation, memoirist Shze-Hui Tjoa and novelist Farah Ali talk about how these forces affect the storytelling in their respective books: The Story Game (Tin House, 2024), an interrogation of memory, childhood, and c-PTSD that is part travel memoir while being
The Politics of Place: A Conversation Between Shze-Hui Tjoa and Farah Ali Read More »
Danielle Legros Georges is the author of several collections of poetry, including Three Leaves, Three Roots: Poems on the Haiti–Congo Story (Beacon Press, 2025), and the translator of the anthology Blue Flare: Three Haitian Poets: Évelyne Trouillot, Marie-Célie Agnant, Maggy de Coster (Zephyr Press, 2024). Her honors include being named a Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des
Once again Jeff and his wife, Laurie, with Mattie and her husband, Daniel, were driving down to the coastal house they’d rented together for seventeen consecutive summers—a record maybe for two-couple compatibility. Known to the four as “the Camel,” the two-level beach house, raised on stilts in the North Carolina sand, was as mismatched in
First Draft: A Dialogue of Writing is a weekly show featuring in-depth interviews with fiction, nonfiction, essay writers, and poets, highlighting the voices of writers as they discuss their work, their craft, and the literary arts. Hosted by Mitzi Rapkin, First Draft celebrates creative writing and the individuals who are dedicated to bringing their carefully
Paolo Bacigalupi on Building Worlds Read More »
Write-minded: Weekly Inspiration for Writers is currently in its fourth year. We are a weekly podcast for writers craving a unique blend of inspiration and real talk about the ups and downs of the writing life. Hosted by Brooke Warner of She Writes and Grant Faulkner of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), each theme-focused episode
Susan Lieu on Not Letting the Past Stay in the Past Read More »
Credit: Julie Leopo / EdSource California has had a racial imbalance between its teacher workforce and its student population for years, with a majority Hispanic student population being taught by teachers who are mostly white. That could be changing, as more people of Hispanic heritage enroll in college teacher preparation programs in the state. Overall
How more Hispanic teachers could change the face of California education Read More »
Photo courtesy of SEAL Speaking more than one language is a superpower and a growing necessity in our global economy. If we want more California students to experience the economic, academic, social and emotional benefits of multilingualism, bilingual or dual language classrooms should be the gold standard for all schools. English learners, who often fall
Bilingual teacher training must be a long-term investment in California schools Read More »
TODAY: In 1928, Victorian novelist Thomas Hardy dies. Megan Craig examines the poetry of geology: “Oddly, perhaps, it is the late physician, neurologist, and author Oliver Sacks who offers the most poetic assessment of rocks.” | The American Scholar How romance readers rallied towards fighting book bans. | The Guardian Greta Rainbow chronicles a year
Lit Hub Weekly: January 6 – 10, 2025 Read More »
