Some label it as historical romance; while others argue that it doesn’t have all of the required elements, thus making it simply an historical novel- but all would agree that the 1936 work by Margaret Mitchell is one of the quintessential works of American literature. However, as one has...
Many of us have visited a casino at least once for a number of reasons- perhaps some time in the limelight with friends at the slots amid conversation and drinks or walking in the shadows feeding the crave of a gambling addiction. Gambling conjures up some rather strong images...
The United States’ third-largest school district, Chicago Public Schools, denies that it banned the book, saying that it “only removed copies from classrooms.” They can euphemize it any way they like, but it’s still censorship. Labeling the graphic novel as “inappropriate,” CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett also ordered mandatory training for...
When someone mentions The Wizard of Oz many no doubt imagine families gathered around the television to share in the full-color glory of this timeless classic; but did you know that the book that the beloved movie is adapted from has been in the sights of censors since it...
Americans tend to arrogantly think that censorship is something that only happened in Stalinist Russia or, currently, the Middle East; America, of course, is proclaimed to be the land of the free. That stuff doesn’t happen here. Many other countries think that censorship only happens within the borders of...
On February 14 in many countries around the world candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones in the name of St. Valentine. Couples will dine and many a flower shop will be visited today while some people- as a good friend once put it- will sit back...
Literature marks the times. Whether an epic historical fiction or a dime store yarn, a novel reflects the time in which it is published as much as it does the period it is set in. The intricacy and subject matter of the literature we enjoy also evolves with us...
A phobia is a deeply-rooted psychological condition in which you are so afraid of something on a subconscious level- due to some traumatic event or trigger- that it impacts your ability to function in daily life. Our society tries to excuse the conscious choice for being intolerant of others...
“For all the talk about inalienable human rights and guaranteed freedoms, the only true freedom is the freedom of thought. The moment you are able to read an entire universe of wonder and possibility opens up to you. No longer will you be confined to the dark, subjugated to...
I’m sometimes amused by the path that my chaotic and random thoughts take in reaching a particular destination; that journey of intellectual clarity and discovery that so often results from seemingly innocent origins which eventually leads to some profound personal endpoint. I was trolling the internet today, neither looking...