‘Tis the season of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. But did you know it’s also the season of Ashura, an optional fast day for Muslims, Bodhi Day when Buddhists recall that Siddhartha Gautama vowed to sit under a tree and not…
I spend a lot of time gazing longingly at photos of delicious dishes to make for Thanksgiving: Brussels sprouts with cranberries and hazelnuts, maple custard, something with figs or chestnuts. But when it comes down to it I always make…
In bleak November when it gets dark too early and you forget what the sun looks like, it can help your mood to turn to the literary version of comfort food and read a book you’ve read before. Many of…
It’s that time of year again. Every Halloween, my brother-in-law replaces his inner front door with a coffin door. He watches through a peephole as trick-or-treaters approach and at just the right moment jumps out of the door—Boo! Some kids…
I love autumn—the sweet smell of wood-smoke, pumpkins everywhere, trees laden with ripe apples and pears, the radiant bursts of red and orange that make me go wow on a regular basis. As Keats said, autumn truly is the “Season…
Last week was Banned Book Week. That’s not exactly a cause for celebration, but it’s definitely something we need to pay attention to. I was surprised to learn how many YA books are still being banned from schools and libraries,…