nonfiction – An American Bluestocking

The return of women to country music

A new crop of women songwriters and musicians are reclaiming their place in the country music space — sexism be damned.

Canine tails — and teeth

How much biting are you, a dog lover, willing to tolerate in your canine roommates? Probably not as much as Julie Klam, bless her heart.

Shattering the myth of the Secret Service

History shows us that the recent failings of the US Secret Service had their roots in an agency whose culture and management have been in desperate need of an overhaul for decades.

Spending more time with Olive & Mabel

Spend some more time with Olive and Mabel, two Very Good Dogs.

The complicated politics of The Man in Black

Was Johnny Cash the most important political artist of his time? Michael Stewart Foley makes the case.

The lessons of Chernobyl live on

How did the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant happen? Human error combined with political failures within the USSR were a deadly combination.

Golden Girls Forever

Author Jim Colucci goes behind the scenes at a classic 1980s sitcom.

‘Neither Here Nor There’ is neither terrible nor great

Bill Bryson made his name with witty travelogues that spanned the world. But does the shtick ever get old?

These compelling profiles transcend sports

I started thinking seriously about journalism as a career in eighth grade. Specifically sportswriting, thanks to a discounted subscription to Sports Illustrated courtesy of the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. I always read it from cover to cover, even the articles about sports I didn’t care about or people I didn’t know. That was how I learnedContinue reading “These compelling profiles transcend sports”

‘Just Mercy’

Author’s note: It’s #ThrowbackThursday here at An American Bluestocking, when I share earlier takes on books I think are worth your time. I originally wrote this review in January 2016; it was published on LibraryThing. This book broke my heart. One of the (few) encouraging things that seems to be coming out of our currentContinue reading “‘Just Mercy’”