Books

Thoreau was born 200 years ago, on July 12, 1817. He died of tuberculosis at age 44.

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Arts

If Thoreau Were Alive, He'd Be 'Shouting From The Rafters,' Biographer Says

5:34pm July 12, 2017

by Tom Vitale

Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden and Civil Disobedience, was born 200 years ago in 1817. Biographer Kevin Dann says the philosopher's ideas about individual sovereignty remain relevant today.

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Bad Machinery: The Case of the Team Spirit

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Arts

Let's Get Graphic: 100 Favorite Comics And Graphic Novels

5:06pm July 12, 2017

We asked readers to name their favorite comics and graphic novels, and we got thousands of answers. Now, with the help of our expert panel, we've curated a list to keep you flipping pages all summer.

Books

The Hello Girls: America's First Women Soldiers And Their Fight For Recognition

2:49pm July 12, 2017

The women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps were heroes in World War I. But when they returned home, they soon learned that the government that had recruited them for this mission didn't even consider them veterans.

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Arts

The Negative Zone: What Didn't Make Our Final List

12:00pm July 12, 2017

by Petra Mayer

In a list of 100 favorite comics and graphic novels, inevitably some people's favorites will get left out — some because they don't stand the test of time, some because there's just no room.

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Arts

'Refuge' Captures Divide Between Father And Daughter Through Lens Of Immigration

6:33pm July 11, 2017

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Dina Nayeri about her new novel, Refuge, which tells the story of an elderly man in Iran and his adult daughter in Amsterdam.

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Eloise's dog, Weenie, wasn't always a pug, as evidenced by this 1954 Hilary Knight drawing.

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'Eloise At The Museum' Tells The Story Behind The Beloved Mischief-Maker

4:33pm July 11, 2017

by Jeff Lunden

The 6-year-old children's book character struck a chord when she debuted in the 1950s. Now a new exhibition shines a light on how Eloise came to be.

G. Willow Wilson writes the Hugo Award-winning Ms. Marvel.

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Arts

Summer Comics Poll: Meet Our Expert Panelists!

4:24pm July 11, 2017

by Petra Mayer

While we prep our awesome reader poll of great comics and graphic novels for all ages and tastes, we thought we'd introduce you to the panel of expert judges who helped curate the final list of 100.

Books
Arts

Is The Justice Department Shying Away From Prosecuting Corporations?

4:12pm July 11, 2017

ProPublica reporter Jesse Eisinger says that the government undermines the notion of equity and fails to deter crime when it allows large corporations to settle lawsuits by paying fines.

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"I lost the first good novel I ever wrote to a computer disaster. It happened at a crucial time in my life, when I was still figuring out if I could even do this thing — become a writer."

Books

A Novelist Forces Himself To Press On After Losing 100 Pages In A Tech Glitch

3:03pm July 11, 2017

by Mat Johnson

Mat Johnson's recent hard-drive failure wasn't the first time he experienced data loss. This time, despite losing more work than ever before, he's less panicked: "I can write new words," he says.

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Revenge of the Nerd: Or...The Singular Adventures of the Man Who Would Be Booger, by Curtis Armstrong.

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I, Booger: Actor Curtis Armstrong's Affable Memoir, 'Revenge Of The Nerd'

12:00pm July 11, 2017

by Glen Weldon

In Armstrong's autobiography, the classically trained actor humorously makes peace with the fact that the first line of his obituary will reference his nose-picking character from an '80s sex comedy.