Times and Places

All writers in this collection speak for themselves—and themselves alone.


Sarah Kendzior and Umar Lee, writing for Politico Magazine, describe life in Ferguson, Missouri.

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The Greek philosopher Socrates contrasts two visual experiences to help his students discover Truth.

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Novelist Edwidge Danticat describes a meal that she will never forget.

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Los Angeles Times reporter Marisa Gerber describes how the traditional quinceanera has evolved over the past 40 years.

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In this piece from the Los Angeles Times, reporter Garrett Therolf depicts the resting place for a victim of child abuse.

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Marc Silver, blogger of National Public Radio's intriguingly titled "Goats and Soda: Stories of Life in a Changing World," considers how best to classify the countries of the world.

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Former Miami Herald Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Dave Barry finally gets a colonoscopy (and we all get to read about it).

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Harvard professor of divinity Harvey Cox takes a theological approach to understanding the business world.

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After a study named New York "the greatest city in the world of the future," the editors at the Atlantic detail the similarities between New York and London.

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Author Tiphanie Yanique describes Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, the place where her grandmother was raised.

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See what the rest of the world feeds its children. Hint: it's not Pop-Tarts.

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Novelist Tim O'Brien, a Vietnam veteran, explores war, love, history, depression, and loss.

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English professor Gillen D’Arcy Wood describes the global impact of Mount Tambora's 1815 eruption.

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Blogger Charlie Jane Anders classifies the different types of time travel stories.

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