Reading James Baldwin in an Election Year

The evening James Baldwin stood in the pulpit of a New Orleans church in 1963, he carried little more than a single sheet of paper with his sporadic handwriting in blue ink on it. He began as he had always done: In silence, being engulfed by the applause of the room. A sort of expectation…

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In Rafah, We Fear Israel’s Endgame

After months of pounding Gaza with one of the most lethal bombing campaigns in history, Israel is now threatening a full-blown assault on the southernmost town of Rafah, where nearly 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are seeking safety after being driven from their homes, including me and my family. As we await our fate and wonder…

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The 13 Best New Books in March

From RuPaul’s memoir to Tana French’s latest mystery, the best new books coming in March will help you spring into the new season. Pulitzer Prize finalist Percival Everett’s James reimagines Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a liberation narrative. Helen Oyeyemi’s mind-warping novel, Parasol Against the Axe, will leave your head spinning—in a good way. Adelle…

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Spiritual Meaning of Frogs: Symbolism & Cultural Insights

Crossing paths with certain animals—like a cardinal, a firefly, a black cat, a praying mantis, a monarch butterfly, or a dragonfly—can feel more special than, say, running into your neighbor Mabel’s chihuahua that escaped from her backyard the 20th time this week. But according to spiritual mediums, stumbling across an animal of any kind, even…

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