Keepers of the Old Ways
Eliot Stein on the people keeping cultural traditions alive
By Stephanie Bastek Friday, January 17, 2025
“The Purse-Seine” by Robinson Jeffers
Poems read aloud, beautifully
By Amanda Holmes Tuesday, January 14, 2025
The Writer in the Family
The fiction of E. L. Doctorow gave a young man hope of connecting his father and his literary hero
By Jonathan Liebson Wednesday, January 8, 2025
The Weight of a Stone
Searching for stability in an erratic world led Oliver Sacks and other writers to the realms of geology
By Megan Craig Thursday, January 2, 2025
Paleolithic Passions
Charles Foster attempts to live—and think—as humans did 40,000 years ago
By Stephanie Bastek Friday, December 3, 2021
If You Can’t See the Stage, Turn to the Page
With theaters shut during the pandemic, reading plays has shed surprising light on works both familiar and strange
By Wendy Smith Thursday, December 2, 2021
The Sondheim Way
Ambition, freedom, and the importance of innovation
By Wendy Smith Tuesday, November 30, 2021
“Farewell” by Agha Shahid Ali
Poems read aloud, beautifully
By Amanda Holmes Tuesday, November 30, 2021
The Capital of Self-Reliance
How a backwater became a philosophical powerhouse
By Anne Matthews Monday, November 29, 2021
The Transcendentalists and Their Worldby Robert A. Gross
Spinning a Good Yarn
Once upon a time, Clara Parkes adopted a 676-pound bale of wool and got an inside look at a disappearing industry
By Stephanie Bastek Friday, November 26, 2021
The Bird That Sang I Am
Poems about the place where we belong
By Christian Wiman Thursday, November 25, 2021
“Failing and Flying” by Jack Gilbert
Poems read aloud, beautifully
By Amanda Holmes Tuesday, November 23, 2021
