Margaret Walker’s Century
The other week I drove from DC to the coast of Connecticut to join a panel at the Poetry by the Sea conference honoring African… Read More »Margaret Walker’s Century
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Earth Day, Arbor Day and Where Nature Meets National Security
Seventy years ago outside the soaring stone Louisiana capitol building in Baton Rouge, the governor gave an Arbor Day speech that linked planting a tree… Read More »Earth Day, Arbor Day and Where Nature Meets National Security
Experience America, Experience Mingering Mike
The Experience America exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum blends, with a fresh eye, pieces from the museum’s permanent collections – including a number… Read More »Experience America, Experience Mingering Mike
A WWII Veteran Reflects on a Path Not Taken
For Veterans Day, the Baltimore Sun shares today that East Baltimore resident Frank DiCara told me about his experience during World War II and coming… Read More »A WWII Veteran Reflects on a Path Not Taken
Aboard the Doomed Macedonian Again
Last weekend marked the anniversary of one of the first encounters in the War of 1812, the battle between the U.S.S. United States and H.M.S.… Read More »Aboard the Doomed Macedonian Again
Baltimore Short Fiction
Happy to have my review of two fine Baltimore fiction writers in the Washington Independent Review of Books. Rafael Alvarez and Clarinda Harriss share a… Read More »Baltimore Short Fiction
Empires of the Silk Road
My new on National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel blog is about my trip to Kyrgyzstan, and stories of empires and herders that met in Central Asia… Read More »Empires of the Silk Road
From the Vault for National Doughnut Day: The Story of Doughnuts
To mark Natonal Doughnut Day on June 6, thousands will trot to their neighborhood doughnut or donut shop for free samples. Here we mark it… Read More »From the Vault for National Doughnut Day: The Story of Doughnuts
Inquiring Minds in the Library of Congress
My thanks to Erin Allen and the staff at the Library of Congress for featuring about the Federal Writers’ Project and the event at the… Read More »Inquiring Minds in the Library of Congress
When Oral History Changed Storytelling
Every week on NPR you might hear pieces from StoryCorps. Nearly as often you might catch firsthand glimpses of history in “oral histories” without knowing… Read More »When Oral History Changed Storytelling