Legal scholar Frederick S. Lane, author of 'The Court and the Cross,' investigates the ramifications of the Hobby Lobby decision and the doctrine of nullification gaining foothold in Christian conservative circles. Read more →
18 posts from July 2014
On the 50th anniversary of its publication, Dr. King’s 'Why We Can't Wait' reminds the world why we must continue to struggle toward a nation of peace and social justice. Read more →
Summer is a time for getting outdoors, listening to the birds, taking long walks in the woods or long naps on the beach. With that in mind, we bring you five books to accompany your summer adventures, or inspire your next trip outdoors. Read more →
In a recent conversation with New Books in Sociology, James W. Russell, author of 'Social Insecurity: 401(k)s and the Retirement Crisis', outlined the inadequacies of the 401(k) system and explained alternatives for Americans who want to maximize their benefits and live comfortably in retirement. Read more →
Ayesha Mattu and Nura Maznavi, editors of 'Salaam, Love: American Muslim Men on Love, Sex, and Intimacy,' recommend six groundbreaking titles as part of the #RamadanReads campaign, a “book buying revolution” meant to celebrate and support diverse and divergent stories and storytellers in the Muslim community. Read more →
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Herbert Marcuse's landmark text 'One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the Ideology of Advanced Industrial Society,' which solidified his reputation as the “father of the New Left” and one of America’s most influential intellectuals in the 1960s and 1970s. Read more →
In an excerpt from 'The Death of Josseline: Immigration Stories from the Arizona Borderlands', Margaret Regan shows us the sometimes tragic and all-too-real dangers that unaccompanied minors must increasingly endure. Read more →
Mohammed Shamma, a contributor to 'Salaam, Love: American Muslim Men on Love, Sex, and Intimacy', remembers back to a Ramadan in 1982, when he was a young boy learning to heal from the loss of his father. Read more →
In an excerpt from 'Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East', Rashid Khalidi shows how easy it is for language to become a tool of the oppressor, disguising reality and propagating unjust biases. Read more →
How telling her story, and hearing the stories of others, helped a young woman heal from sexual assault. Read more →
The three Boeing 737 fuselages that recently derailed into the Clark Fork River should serve as a reminder that industrial accidents are likely, if not inevitable, and that when it comes to keeping rivers clean of unwanted intrusions, we can hardly be too cautious. By Brad Tyer, author of 'Opportunity, Montana: Big Copper, Bad Water, and the Burial of an American Landscape.' Read more →
The New York State Court of Appeals ruled recently that towns can use zoning laws to prohibit fracking. Michelle Bamberger and Robert Oswald, authors of the forthcoming book 'The Real Cost of Fracking: How America’s Shale Gas Boom is Threatening Our Families, Pets, and Food,' investigate the potential impact of that decision. Read more →
Gender scholar and 'Gaga Feminism' author J. Jack Halberstam examines the cult of "triggering" and how a safe space mentality can sometimes do more harm than good. Read more →
Nancy Rubin Stuart, author of 'Defiant Brides,' examines the nature of heroes and traitors, asking, "Isn’t it time we take a lesson from...our past to improve the lives of all Americans today?" Read more →
Beacon remembers the prolific and beloved children's book writer Walter Dean Myers, author of over 100 books, including 'Bad Boy,' 'Monster,' 'Darius & Twig,' 'Lockdown,' and 'Autobiography of My Dead Brother.' Read more →
Women's reproductive health advocate Carole Joffe reflects on the recent Hobby Lobby SCOTUS ruling and who, ultimately, pays the price for such setbacks in contraceptive policy. Read more →
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, we've put together a list of essential books that we hope will inspire future generations to come together for progressive social change. Read more →
A contributor to 'Salaam, Love: American Muslim Men on Love, Sex, and Intimacy' recalls the difficult yet rewarding lessons of his first Ramadan, when he was still unprepared for the physical and spiritual rigors he would encounter. Read more →