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 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.
Book and Movie Combinations: Immigration Stories
A book/movie combination review of the YA novel Go Home and the film Green Border, both addressing refugees and immigration.
A Book Launch in Uncertain Times
Connecting Eyes Open, launching this week, with the freedom struggle in Portugal and the need to value our democracy.
A map of states with school book bans, part of the 2023 World Voices Festival.
Authors Speak Out Against Book Bans
Introducing Authors Against Book Bans, an organization for freedom of expression that I joined along with more than a thousand other authors.
Rattling the Cage for Ukraine
We need to step it up in supporting Ukraine on the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion. The message from my watching a new film about Ukrainian restaurant Veselka.
Off-Year Election
Arguments for voting in off-year elections as well as local ones that can have even more impact on daily life.
From Banned Books to No Books
This year's Banned Books Week, October 1-7, is not as much a time for celebrating books as fighting against the startling increase in book banning across the country. According to…
20 Days in Mariupol: Guest Review by Walter Adamson
Review of the new documentary film 20 Days in Mariupol, which chronicles the Russian destruction of the thriving port city at the outset of the full-scale invasion.
PEN World Voices Festival: Writing Truthfully for Kids About Today’s Issues
A summary of the panel "Writing Truthfully for Kids About Today's Issues," part of the 2023 PEN World Voices Festival.