What’s in a Name?
A response to the announcement of an Executive Order changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico and Google's rapid compliance with this decree.
Publishers Speak Out Against Book Bans
A creative effort by one of my publishers to raise money and awareness to fight book bans as well as attacks on authors and freedom of expression.
Giving Characters Agency in Restricted Spaces
How writers can give their protagonists agency even if the characters are very young or live in very restricted environments.
Not Obeying in Advance
Not taking down my blog or my more political posts is part of my decision not to "obey in advance" given the possibility of a more repressive regime.
The Lost Democracies of the 21st Century
A discussion of the fates of democracies that gave way to dictatorships from the mid-1990s to the present. How many of them are democracies again?
A Famous Street in the East Village
One of my most popular blog post types is the "tourists at home," where I point out interesting places in the city where I live. It also happens to be…
Gambling With Freedom
An election in which our very democracy and freedoms are at stake, and what we lose if we lose them to shiny promises and violent solutions.
The Rise of Women’s Sports
Exploring my interest in girls' and women's sports, both watching it and writing about it.
Launch Day for Our Beautiful Darkness
Some Launch Day thoughts for my latest translation, the YA graphic novel Our Beautiful Darkness, and the need for more translated books for kids by authors from Africa.
A Warning From Venezuela
The recent election in Venezuela as a cautionary tale on how hard it is to get rid of a dictator once he's in office.