The French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, was presented with a Freedom on Expression award from the PEN American Center this week. Six high-profile writers boycotted the awards ceremony at PEN's big annual gala. Hundreds more protested, while others gave the magazine's editors a standing ovation. The chariman of the PEN World Voices Festival is Colm Toibin, the celebrated Irish novelist. Toibin shares his thoughs on the controversy.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
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Naturalist and environmental activist Janisse Ray talks with Jim Fleming about her memoir, "Ecology of A Cracker Childhood." Ray now devotes herself to long leaf pine restoration.
Joseph Lekuton was born in Kenya to a tribe of Maasai nomads. Later, he came to America and eventually got a master’s in educational policy from Harvard.
Jennifer Cohen flew off to Russia to be a journalist and live with the man of her dreams. Things didn’t quite work out the way she planned
Many things can evoke a memory. Like a smell. Or a touch. When Mamek Khadem wanted to evoke the memory of her native Iran during the Islamic revolution in 1979, she did it with music.
If you think the American middle class has it bad, consider life in debt-ridden Italy or Greece. Best-selling financial writer Michael Lewis portrays the downfall of several European countries with his usual verve, in Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World.
Acclaimed novelist Martin Amis talks about growing up as the son of another famous novelist — Kingsley Amis.
Lisa Lieberman is the author of “Leaving You: The Cultural Meaning of Suicide.” She talks about the suicide of her grandfather and the extravagant narratives left by 19th century suicides.
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