Historian Peniel Joseph says Selma is the first major film about civil rights history that properly honors the contributions of the movement's African-American foot soldiers.
As we eagerly await the first official college football championship, commentator Frank Deford says it's intriguing that the U.S. places as much emphasis on college sports as it does on the pros.
As HBO releases the high-definition version of The Wire, NPR's Eric Deggans says that binge-watching the show feels more like reading today's headlines — especially on issues of race and class.
Robert Siegel and Melissa Block read listen letters about the problem with so-called lie detectors, and no-kill shelters, and a correction about Amazon, Netflix and "net neutrality."
In The Guardian, Peter Ormerod argues it's time to end the ritual of forcing children to write often-formulaic letters. Instead, he says, try for something that's less of a chore and more sincere.
Egypt has announced a retrial for three journalists jailed for their work. NPR's Eric Westervelt reflects on the reversal of justice in Egypt since his time covering the popular uprising at Tahrir.
We saw a lot of dystopias in both films and books this year. Author Jason Sheehan has had enough. He plans to celebrate the new year with some science fiction that's actually hopeful about the future.
Author Roxane Gay spent 2014 thinking and writing about issues that exposed divides in America over race and gender. She offers her thoughts on some of the year's most-talked-about stories.