Lessons on evil from The Master and Margarita. — Look at the picture above. Know what’s terrifying about it? They’re all people — just like you. The atrocities of Nazi Germany were condoned and carried out by human beings. …

Take it from a World War I veteran: Freedom and the destruction it takes to get it are not equally worthy of praise. — Even when it’s necessary, war should never be glorified. Conflict is inherent to human nature, no doubt, but that doesn't mean we should praise it. The destruction of lives and property is generally frowned upon in individual instances. …

Great people are still people — and people mess up a lot. — Something near relief comes from learning that Martin Luther King Jr. was fooling around the night before he was assassinated. Infidelity isn’t cool, not by any means. But discovering that even a moral and cultural behemoth like MLK was prone to error and vice should in many ways produce a…

Lessons On Accepting Tragedy From Slaughterhouse-Five. — There’s no choice: You WILL face tragedy someday. The choice comes in how you respond to this tragedy. Imagine your home town is destroyed by a relentless torrent of bombs. It’s turned into a Satanic wet dream of hellfire and brimstone. Neighbors incinerated. Children crushed by falling buildings. …

A Starter Pack For Native American Literature — An intersection means nothing if it isn’t all-encompassing. But trying to encapsulate all Native American cultures is like trying to measure the size of the universe: it’s impossible. Native American culture spans hundreds of tribes and languages — each as fascinating, unique, and beautiful as a snowflake. You may never…

Your Time With The Lost Children of Uganda — As you entered the cramped slit in the wall where the prostitutes lived the smell of poverty lay siege on your nose: human waste and wasting humans. …

To be the best progressive you must read the best conservative works — A wall on the Southern border? Build it! Hillary Clinton? Lock her up! The 2020 Election? Stolen! As a reader of this publication, there is a 112.9% chance you have never said any of these things. Nor have you ever been gung-ho about nativism, nationalism, or neoliberal economics. But some…

Shakespeare Snippets: Much Ado About Nothing — Imagine waking up one day to an indignant significant other. They are at the bedpost with arms crossed, a packed bag, and wielding a resolute but wrong accusation: “YOU CHEATED ON ME.” But you know you didn’t. When would you have cheated? Between a full-time job, two kiddos, and the…

It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it. — Amidst the balancing act of parenthood, career, relationships, and mounds of other extracurriculars life throws out you, it can be difficult to carve out a little time for almost anything. Especially something as time-consuming and passive as reading. But reading has incredible benefits. You know what else pays dividends? Spending…