How We Got Here: Readings on New York Politics
As we wallow in the dog days of summer, the city's political high season is around the corner. This fall, voters will elect a new Mayor and choose almost all of the City Council, as well as other state and local offices. Given the propensity of politicians to promise and boast and cajole us to win our vote, New Yorkers are understandably eager to see beyond the hype. Taking a step back from the specifics of campaigns and candidates, the books below all aim to give a glimpse into how New York City politics really works. The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York, by Robert…
Cold Enough For Ya? Reads from the Frozen Continent
When a healthy winter snowfall blankets our city with its chill, some of us long for warmer landscapes: sunny beaches, tropical islands. Some of us, however, loop on another of Granny's knitted mufflers and say to winter: Bring it on! This post is for those readers who still love to tromp around in snowdrifts (at least for an hour or two) and who can't help but think: what if it were really cold? Antarctica, aka The Frozen Continent, where temperatures this time of year average 36 below, is a fine setting for books meant to inspire a pleasant chill in your bones. So if your vision of a…
Jumping to Where the Jobs Are
Understanding Our Divided American House
To many, the patchwork of red and blue states building up on the electoral map in early November—and especially the televised rancor that followed, revealed afresh the badly frayed state of our politics and led to worry what it might spell for our country. With each party facing existential choices over what they will stand for going forward, the mixed election results have prompted soul-searching among Republicans and Democrats alike. Yet, according to a slate of recently published books, our political divisions are deep and have been widening for some time. And while it'…
Feel-Good Nonfiction, Anyone?
Everyone has their own taste in books, and for me it's often nonfiction. In uncertain moments, it can be soothing to escape into a world of verifiable facts. My all-time favorite reads are in the motley genres of literary journalism and narrative nonfiction. I like real-life stories with a subtle tension to keep me reading, while still offering passages of quiet reflection. Such works pair well with a related genre, a book of essays. These days I'm especially seeking essayists that promise irreverence and honesty, maybe even a rueful chuckle as I read. The list below highlights authors who'…
Going Viral with Epidemiologists
When a new and alarming disease spreads rapidly through a population, who do you call? Epidemiologists! Joined by their colleagues in virology and immunology, epidemiologists plan ahead to respond to epidemics. They attempt to forecast the growth and spread of infectious disease, study outbreaks as they happen, and work alongside local and national governments to craft solutions. With the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak dominating the news, it may be helpful to be reminded of the successes of epidemiologists during prior crises. Epidemiologists are among the heroes of medical science,…
More Billions, No Problems?
Billionaires are always in the news. Whether they are launching spacecraft or running for president, they draw our attention and curiosity. They also prompt questions: Who are these billionaires anyway? How did they accumulate their beaucoup bucks? What could a person possibly do with all that wealth? Who's a billionaire? Forbes Magazine follows the ins and outs of the billionaire's club, and publishes an update each spring. As of March 2019, there were over 2,000 billionaires worldwide. Over 600 were in the United States, 244 were women, and just 13 were black. How much is a billion? Just…
Meet Pluto and Our Other (Celestial) Neighbors
Let's all raise a glass to celebrate a milestone in our relations with Pluto, our cosmic neighbor. Ninety years ago this month, on February 18, 1930, an aspiring astronomer named Clyde Tombaugh examined a pair of night sky photographs taken weeks earlier and noticed a faint light had changed position. For us, it was Pluto's welcoming wave. Located in the vast Kuiper Belt far beyond Neptune, and traveling in an off-kilter, ellipse-shaped orbit that sends it up to 4.5 billion miles from the sun, it's fair to say Pluto and Earth have never been particularly close. Many still feel we committed a…
Arctic Circle Dreaming on Such a Summer's Day
Say Nothing and Writing About the Troubles
Graphic Novels With a Personal Touch
Graphic novels aren't just containers for superhero sagas; plenty of cartoonists have used their talent with words and pictures to chronicle more personal stories about their everyday lives or the lives of others. This kind of cartooning always feels more intimate to me, as if I'm looking over the artist's shoulder as they doodle scenes into their diaries. Here are eight examples of creators whose stories remain true to life. Lena Finkle's Magic Barrel by Anya Ulinich -- A lightly fictionalized and unflinchingly honest tale of a Russian-born artist and single mother searching for true love…
Epic Friendships of Literature
February is a fine month for romantics, but who needs a valentine when you've got great friends? Try one of the following epic tales for a reminder that BFFs are always worth celebrating. Valentines for Galentines The Color Purple by Alice Walker because friendship is unstoppable. As Walker shows us in this searing novel, when the downtrodden Celie transcends the brutality of her married life by seeking a loving bond with the itinerant singer Shug Avery. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante because female friendship can have a lifelong power, as it does in this multi-book saga of Elena…