Jun 30 This Independence Day, 5 books that explain America’s complex history By Elizabeth Flock Historian Sean Wilentz has examined the history of America through the lens of our presidents, our party politics, the working class — and even our music. This Independence Day, we asked Wilentz, a professor of American history at… Continue reading
Jun 23 4 poets you need to read, from new poet laureate Tracy K. Smith By Elizabeth Flock Last week, the Library of Congress selected Tracy K. Smith as the new U.S. Poet Laureate. Here, Smith shares the poetry she recommends reading right now. Continue reading
Jun 16 The 7 best books from indie publishers right now By Elizabeth Flock Books from independent publishers are often less easily surfaced or visible. Here are 7 terrific books from indie presses you may not know. Continue reading
Jun 09 10 things to read when you’re grieving By Joshua Barajas The NewsHour asked its staff for recommendations of books or poems that helped them survive a period of loss. In their own words, here are 10 possible reads for someone who's grieving. Continue reading
May 26 19 summer books that will keep you up all night reading By Elizabeth Flock It’s almost summer -- a time to catch up on missed readings, turn back to old favorites, and discover new ones. For the best summer reads, we turned two authors who own independent bookstores: Louise Erdrich, who owns Birchbark Books… Continue reading
May 19 5 unforgettable TV theme songs to tide you over until ‘Twin Peaks’ returns By Joshua Barajas On its own, the theme song to “Twin Peaks” was a bona fide earworm. Composer Angelo Badalamenti’s opening theme to Mark Frost and David Lynch’s otherworldly murder mystery won a Grammy in 1990 for “Best Pop Instrumental Performance.” The soundtrack… Continue reading
May 05 Disco deserves more respect. These 5 songs prove why By Joshua Barajas As the Library of Congress celebrates disco for the first time, we asked music historian Bill Brewster to spotlight five revolutionary disco tracks. Continue reading
Apr 28 Nixon biographer recommends 8 other biographies you need to read By Elizabeth Flock John Farrell has read and studied a wide range of biographies over the years. Here are his recommendations for 8 must-read life histories. Continue reading
Apr 19 7 overlooked women writers you should be reading now By Elizabeth Flock Top female writers and editors recommend other female authors who have somehow been overlooked or forgotten, either because of their gender, the language in which they wrote, or their books have gone out of print. Continue reading
Apr 15 The 8 books librarians can’t stop talking about right now By Elizabeth Flock For National Library Week, we asked the New York Public Library -- the largest library in the country and one of the most beloved -- what we should be reading right now. Continue reading