A Sisterhood of Small Secrets

Secret Sisterhood offers little in the way of secrets and even less in the way of female literary friendship.

The Fabulous Life of the Earth Moving Machine

Apart from a history of heavy machinery, Ammon's book also examines shifting attitudes towards the wholesale clearance of land from World War II through 1973.

To Try Our Luck in California

Setting forth for the central coast of California, we, a Midwestern couple en route on our first spring break as adults’ post-college, ventured from San Francisco, where we sipped dark roast coffee in the Castro and ate at a cult-following sandwich shop predicated on love and an obscene offering of…

“Gladice, Brooklyn, New York”

“So, we’re gonna be famous, you’re gonna make me a star, right?” (photo Donato DiCamillo)…

In Praise of Not Going Viral

In the foodie world, as in most worlds now mediated online, there is intense pride at having a recipe “go viral.” Samin Nosrat, the delightful author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and the ensuing Netflix series based on the cookbook, admits as much in her recent confessional-recipe (it is a…

Frogs get a hop on noise pollution

In an increasingly noisy world, it may seem impossible to find peace amongst the cacophony of busy roads, blaring sirens, and roaring machinery. That is, unless you are a wood frog. New research from Pennsylvania State University shows these pocket-sized pollywogs are becoming immune to the stresses…

Mapping the Desire Lines of Family

Nishta J. Mehra (Credit: Lauren Schoen) I first met Nishta J. Mehra in 2005 when we studied creative nonfiction at the University of Arizona’s MFA program. Her prose was, and is, agile, buoyant while being direct, and strong. She also routinely brought baked goods to our class workshops, and, honestly,…

Highway to Hell

Most mornings do not begin by walking across a snow-covered campus as a young man in flame-colored pants and an intergalactic backpack—think the cosmos meet tie-dye—blasts AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.” Is the music emanating from his phone, I wonder? A portable bluetooth speaker placed just so? Am…

“Hidden Gem”

Hellen: “Are you crazy?” she replied when I asked permission to take her photograph. “I haven’t applied my makeup correctly,” she explained while covering her face, giggling! (photo by Donato DiCamillo)…

A Genius of the South

“I love myself when I am laughing … and then again when I am looking mean and impressive.” —Zora Neale Hurston   Writer, folklorist, and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston was born 128 years ago, give or take a week (January 7 or January 15, 1891…

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