Topic: Walt Whitman

For the love of the game and all humanity

A Christian Science perspective: College baseball fans find common ground despite political differences. Can the same spirit permeate the contentious political landscape?

Is Ann Patchett the female Jonathan Franzen?

In some respects, Jonathan Franzen and Ann Patchett seem separated at birth – except for all the ways in which they are polar opposites.

What Teachers Make

A defense of teaching from an impertinent, hilarious, and challenging teacher.

5 urban garden programs that train inmates and help communities

Prison gardening programs teach inmates valuable skills, reduce recidivism, and provide those in need with fresh produce.

Can tax reform really fix the income gap?

Because many other factors influence income inequality besides tax policy, tax reform's ability to combat the problem is limited, but its potential shouldn't be entirely counted out.

How well do you know the Brooklyn book scene?

How much do you know about famous authors like Walt Whitman and Richard Wright who lived and worked in Brooklyn?

Literary Brooklyn: The Writers of Brooklyn and the Story of American City Life

From Walt Whitman to Jonathan Safran Foer, Brooklyn holds a unique place in America’s literary history.

Classic review: Bob Dylan in America

Sean Wilentz's study of enigmatic music icon Bob Dylan is at once a time-hopping biography; a catalog of Dylan’s myriad, eclectic influences; and a primer on American music.

Stuck with student loan with variable rate? Shop around.

Student loan has a low interest rate. But if it's variable, it pays to lock in that student loan with a fixed rate. Question No. 1 of the reader mailbag.

Poetry quiz: Can you match the poet to the poem?

April is National Poetry Month. Celebrate by testing your knowledge of these well known English-language poets. How many of these verses can you match to the poet who penned them?

National Poetry Month: How and why I celebrate

Based on my own experience, I still think of television as an especially powerful tool in raising poetry’s profile.

I sing the body electric – or electrical?

The Monitor's grammarian wonders about the difference between the words electric and electrical.

Riding shotgun: Lee Friedlander photographs from the car

Distinctive Lee Friedlander photos open a window on America's deep car culture.

A nomad nation settles down

Americans were once known for constantly being on the move. Recent trends indicate they are putting down roots whether they want to or not.

Bob Dylan in America

Bob Dylan was not so much a sponge as an alchemist, taking common materials and creating new art.

Confession of a former cheerleader: It's the noncompetition that made it fun

A federal judge has ruled that competitive cheerleading is not a sport. That is likely to disappoint many of the 3.7 million youths involved in cheer, as it probably should. But there's something about noncompetitive cheerleading that is worth holding on to.

McChrystal: What would Eisenhower have done?

Before President Obama ousted General McChrystal, he should have considered how Ike dealt with an incident involving legendary General George Patton during World War II.

97 Orchard

How cuisine and culture collaborated to cook up an American identity.

It turns out Walt Whitman was right about those giant meteors

A poem in Walt Whitman's 'Leaves of Grass' describes a 'strange huge meteor-procession dazzling and clear shooting over our heads.' Researchers now believe they know what he was referring to.

Classic title for Memorial Day 2010: This Republic of Suffering

The horror of the Civil War revolutionized the treatment of US war casualties.

Classic review: Poetry collections to cherish

Short reviews of three delightful poetry collections.

Cash for clunkers poem: Oh clunker, my clunker!

The lobbyist through history: villainy and virtue

Once, a good pistol and congressional stationery were influence enough for lobbyists.

Say Everything

A history of blogging – and why it matters.