‘Lost Maya Cities’ Digs into the Nitty-Gritty of Archaeology
Slovenian archeologist Ivan Sprajc's memoir, Lost Maya Cities, is a pleasant read but it could have dug deeper.
Rhea Rollmann
Rhea Rollmann is a writer, editor, and broadcaster based in Canada. Rhea is a reporter/editor with the online media publication The Independent (TheIndependent.ca) and Program Director at community radio station CHMR-FM. Rhea can be reached by email at hansnf [at] gmail or on Twitter @hansnf.
Truths Overlap in Jenny Erpenbeck’s Memoir of German Reunification, ‘Not a Novel’
Living under the repressive East German regime taught its citizens to distrust their government and read through the lines of its proclamations to glean the reality of a situation, Jenny Erpenbeck explains in Not a Novel.
Vuillard’s ‘The War of the Poor’ and Historical Storytelling
Éric Vuillard's engaging The War of the Poor takes a literary approach that is more art than history, but that is a wonderful way to convey important historical events and their long reach into our troubled times.
Stefano Mancuso’s ‘The Nation of Plants’ Gives the Green Party a Podium
Could humankind change its social structures to mimic plants' inherent strengths of cooperation and conservation?
On Finnish Film ‘Open Up to Me’ and Trans Portrayal in Film
Viewers might temper a recognition of Finnish film Open Up to Me's strong points with an awareness of the complexity of trans portrayal in film.
‘Queer Legacies: Stories from Chicago’s LGBTQ Archives’
From the rich archives of Chicago's Gerber Hart Library, John D'Emilio's Queer Legacies offers an inspiring overview of individual perseverance; poignant losses, and stirring collective gains.
Megan Rapinoe’s ‘One Life’ Is Pitch-Perfect
In Megan Rapinoe's memoir One Life, her training, hard work, and competitive spirit are coupled with an impassioned account of her political awakening.
Balanced on the Thin Edge of Democracy, Can We See the Tipping Point?
The Trump-bolstered radical right are akin to fourth-century Christian fanatics who -- in the space of a single generation -- transformed the Roman empire from a state of broadly tolerant religious plurality to one of violence and societal destruction.
Sci-fi/Fantasy Writer Elizabeth Bear on Diversity, Mental Health, and Queers in Space
Elizabeth Bear's idealistic, positive future would be a Tea Party Republican's worst nightmare. Her latest book, Machine, explores the possibility fearlessly.