Topic: Great Smoky Mountains

Labor Day weekend: aftermath of hurricane Irene may force people to change plans

Labor Day weekend: Damage from hurricane Irene has closed popular recreation areas such as parts of the White Mountains National Forest in New Hampshire.

Six Southern cookbooks

A round-up of recent cookbooks featuring new twists on traditional Southern tastes.

Coal power: TVA agrees to phase out 18 units, shift to cleaner fuels

Tennessee Valley Authority says it will phase out 18 older coal-fired generators at three power plants by 2020. Natural-gas and biomass units will replace the coal power as part of a TVA settlement over clean-air violations.

Dollywood wins award for best theme park in the world

The Dollywood theme park won the 2010 Applause Award which was accepted by Dolly Parton in Orlando.

Eco-philanthropists to the rescue of wildlife?

Former CEOs lead a pack of eco-philanthropists who are bankrolling parks to conserve pristine land and wildlife.

US national parks endangered by climate change

Faith in America lifts the public mood

A recent cross-country road trip showed that despite struggles, few people seem to doubt that the nation will rebound.

Velva Jean Learns to Drive

A coming-of-age tale about a young girl growing up in Appalachia in the decade before World War II.

Out of work? This week's most intriguing job offers

Holocaust Memorial shooting renews concern about military vets' ties to extremist violence

Experts say recent attacks back up the findings of a controversial Department of Homeland Security report.

How climate change may be threatening national parks

Thriving forest pests and melting glaciers may make parks a warning system for climate change effects.

Best novels of 2008

The Monitor’s annual gift guide to the best fiction books of 2008.

Something Wicked

Alan Gratz’s fresh spin on Shakespeare makes superb reading for older teens.

Serena

Lady Macbeth has nothing on Serena, the ruthless protagonist of this Depression-era story set in the Smoky Mountains.

Letters to the Editor

Readers write about guns in national parks and single-sex education.

A guide to more mindful vacations

A list of travel destinations in peril – and how we can help.

‘Greetings from Nowhere’ speaks to young readers

A cast of characters assemble at a down-and-out motel and find unexpected joys.

'Greetings from Nowhere' speaks to young readers

A cast of characters assemble at a down-and-out motel to learn the joy of finding good.