Why We Need Historical Fiction
In the past two weeks, I've spoken at two events about my novel Gringolandia and my translation of the picture book Three Balls of Wool (Can Change the World) --…
The Time Has Come for Three Balls of Wool (Can Change the World)
Release day for the Amnesty International co-sponsored Three Balls of Wool (Can Change the World), a picture book of a refugee family in their new home.
The Republic of Cruelty
With the revocation of DACA, The U.S. government has just precipitated a humanitarian crisis, and the whole world is watching.
Stories Dictators Tell
An overview of common stories that dictatorships and despotic regimes tell to justify their power and policies.
Liu Xiaobo, the Poet Who Would Not Be Quiet
A tribute to Chinese poet, critic, and Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo, who died last week while serving an 11-year prison sentence for speaking out for freedom.
A Visit from the Pope
Some thoughts on being in Portugal at the time of the Pope's visit to Fátima to canonize two of the children who saw the Virgin Mary in 1917.
The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Thoughts on the House passage of a draconian repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and on withdrawing rights people have enjoyed and come to take for granted.
Staycation
My staycation this year has become a #grabyourwallet event after United Airlines sicced an abusive police force on a recalcitrant passenger.
The Literature of Witness
The importance of #ownvoices authors and their literature of witness for a new generation of African-American teens as we confront a nation in crisis.
Honoring a Protector of Refugees, Aristides de Sousa Mendes
As countries in Europe and North America debate the admission of refugees, I remember the courageous work of Holocaust rescuer Aristides de Sousa Mendes.