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Eat a Little Better

“Food Justice” and the Smithsonian’s Food History Weekend 2020

The 2020 Smithsonian Food History Weekend which takes place Oct. 15 -17 will explore historical and systemic injustices with people who are working to make a difference by creating alternative models of empowerment within their own communities or by helping others make fundamental changes toward equity.

Theroux's Deep Sout

United States of Complexity

Red, White, and Who?

We certainly live in times of great divisiveness: politically, economically and racially. We live in a very complex country varying from region to region in its political persuasions, cultural backgrounds, and systems of belief. The following books take aim by their respective authors of truly seeking to understand a group of “other” Americans and why they believe what they do and why they pursue the things they do.

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Modern Iran

Illuminating Fiction and Non-Fiction

How well is post-Revolution Iran understood in the West? Today this ancient society is known primarily for the activities of its theocratic government. The following collection of ebooks and audiobooks includes two novels, two memoirs and two analyses. Many of the authors selected were either born in Iran or spent several years in the country. My hope is to offer the reader an insider's perspective on this enigmatic land.    

Black History of the White House Book Cover

DC Emancipation Day, Census 2020, and Voting

Read and participate

With DC Emancipation Day on April 16, it seems prudent to be thinking about D.C.’s place in this country and the history it has seen, as well as all the people who have shaped it into the city it is today -- and what steps can be taken even now from home to contribute to its future.

Ninety Percent of Everything

Seafaring Journeys with Cargo

Nonfiction Explorations of Maritime Shipping

Last year I traveled as a passenger for almost four weeks on two transatlantic cargo ships. Since I've returned, I have been reading books to gain further insight into the world of maritime shipping. Many products we use every day, including the device you're reading these words on and many library books, have journeyed across oceans on cargo ships. Yet, the shipping world is invisible to most of us. Without leaving land you too can journey into this fascinating world by reading the books below.

Promise Me Dad

Happy Reading, Happy Voting

Books by current Democratic presidential candidates

If you’re planning on voting in the upcoming Democratic primary on June 2, 2020 -- and did you know you can register to vote at any DC Public Library location? -- you might be working out who it is you’d like to support.

Impeachment A Citizen's Guide by Cass Sunstein

Impeachment

What it all means and its history

Impeachment. It’s a word increasingly present in our news cycles and everyday discussions. Regardless of where your feelings on current events fall, you may be wondering what, exactly, “impeachment” means and what the process looks like. We’re here to help you navigate the goings-on on the Hill, starting with this list of books on the impeachment process and its history in the United States.

Book Cover of Give Us The Ballot

Voting Rights

The right to vote is central to the concept of a democracy, and the near-constant struggle for some citizens to access those rights is one of the most important narratives in our country’s history. These titles may provide a brief (and certainly not comprehensive) introduction to this issue, and will likely increase your interest in this and other related struggles in our nation’s complicated history.

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Politics: Get Into It!

Organizing, Ideology and its Discontents

Regardless of what your political desires might be, being a citizen in a democracy requires more from you than obedience.  You have to be involved, concerned and aware.  More and more it requires us to be mobilized.  Here is a list of reads where I found practical advice on how to be involved in politics and power.  Rules for Radicals by Saul D. Alinsky

Revenge of the Analog

The Retro-Tech Revival

Visions of a Less Digital, More Fulfilling Future

A prevalent mythology of the future, pushed by the digital tech industry, assumes it will be increasingly digital. This trajectory is often thought to be inevitable and that therefore individuals and institutions have no choice but to embrace it. I find the books below stimulating because they reject this inevitability and imagine a future less dominated by digital media than it is now.

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