Category Archives: nonfiction
The Golden Flea: A Story of Obsession and Collecting – Michael Rips
Yes, this is really a book about a flea market, and yes, it is pretty good. New York City’s Chelsea Flea Market operated most weekends in a two-floor garage on the west side of Manhattan for decades, and Michael Rips … Continue reading
Educated for Freedom: The Incredible Story of Two Fugitive Schoolboys who Grew Up to Change a Nation – Anna Mae Duane
In the 1820s most Americans did not see a need to educate black children. Reading, writing and a bit of math would do very well. After all, these children were seen as inferior. But the people who established the New York … Continue reading
The Journey to the Mayflower: God’s Outlaws and the Invention of Freedom – Stephen Tomkins
This year, 2020, marks the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower. That’s usually the beginning of the story. But the story begins in 1553 with Queen Mary’s cleansing of the church. No, it really begins several hundred years before that. … Continue reading
The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History – Kassia St. Clair
We take cloth for granted. It has just always been there. Cotton, silk, wool, linen, have been with us forever, nothing special. But this book shows how fabric has shaped our civilizations, has allowed us to go to extreme places, … Continue reading
The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West – David McCullough
The wilderness northwest of the Ohio River was ready to be settled and Manasseh Cutler was determined to have his conditions included in the Northwest Ordinance: free universal education, freedom of religion and prohibition of slavery. He was not sure … Continue reading
Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen – Mary Norris
Mary Norris loves all things Greek, but especially the Greek language. Not modern, Greek, mind you, Ancient Greek. This book recounts her studies learning the language, speaking the language. We go with her on solo trips to Greece (Crete, Rhodes, … Continue reading
Ursula K. Le Guin: Conversations on Writing – Ursula K Le Guin and David Naimon
David Naimon is a writer and the host of Portland, Oregon based podcast, Between the Covers. This all began as a series of recorded interviews with Ursula Le Guin for the show. Then they came to the conclusion that the … Continue reading
