The author was raised in Lamesa, in the endless flat plains of West Texas. He describes himself as a typical, hard-working kid. As a teenager, he discovered a talent for broadcasting as a DJ on local radio and honed his skills through his college years at the University of Texas at Austin, after which he […]
In this third visit to Fern’s School for Wayward Fae, all the new students are gearing up for the annual Yule Hunt, a magical winter solstice scavenger hunt that will help them develop their gifts. The competition also gives the winner (or winners) an unspecified, though highly sought-after, prize. Thirteen-year-old Rosemary is eager to learn […]
In New York City, young Pok Morning is an excellent candidate for admission to any of the nation’s top medical schools, all run by the Shepherd Organization, all AI-centered, and known as “The Prestigious Twelve.” A drone delivers the message: admission denied. Initially, he blames his father for undermining his application. But Dr. Phelando Morning, […]
Burkham, professor of human geography at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a self-described “Midwesterner by birth and disposition,” makes the case for immigration as a way to stave off the impacts of population decline in the Midwest. Outmigration, lower fertility rates, an aging baby boom cohort, and low rates of immigration have led to “demographic winter”—where […]
One month after Samhain, Younwity Hidden Institute of Witchcraft is still afflicted by the dark spell Lilith cast on school grounds, and even the Coven can’t fix things. The recently formed magical fissure is causing significant tremors and weird occurrences, like monsoons in the dining hall. Abigail and her friend Noreen continue to be bullied […]
Eva, an 18-year-old intern at London-based Low Slang Records, wants to break into the A&R side of the music industry but spends her days fetching coffee for higher-ups who won’t give her the time of day. Then she finds 16-year-old Alora Storm-Jones. When Eva comes across a video of Alora singing, she’s transfixed by her […]
Zoffness, a clinical psychologist, here debunks many common beliefs about pain—those held by the general public and doctors alike. For starters, Zoffness bemoans that “for a variety of reasons, many to do with our profit-driven healthcare system, pain medicine remains rooted in the antiquated biomedical model. We continue to be treated as disconnected body parts, […]
This illustrated feast frames Fire Island not simply as a queer sanctuary, but as an incubator of queer style across the 20th century. Dempsey, president of the Fire Island Pines Historical Society, is an engaging guide to a vibrant history: Readers learn that Oscar Wilde is said to have visited in Cherry Grove in 1882; […]
Shortly after Beatrice and Maxine Clark moved to Los Angeles at 19 and 18 respectively, Beatrice made her music debut as Blue Velour, inspired by a couch the sisters found on the street. As Dorn’s novel opens in 2019, the rebellious artist has just released her seventh album, Blue’s Beard, and is finally interviewed by […]
Eleanor Newton wasn’t able to be with her grandmother three years ago, when she died alone in the hospital during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. The loss lingers, especially because Grandma’s ghost appeared to Eleanor soon after her death, cryptically declaring “I’m early.” Trapped at home in lockdown and anticipating Grandma’s return, Eleanor […]