Books

'A Sliver of American History'

But the Liberty Bell has a resonance few American icons can match

By:

It's accepted as a truism that the majority of Philadelphians take the wealth of historical artifacts that surround them -- the most significant dating from the period of this country's struggle for independence -- pretty much for granted. I say this with some certainty since I count myself as typical of those who've spent most of their lives in and...

Books

A Literary Terrain Unlike Any Other

By:

Robert Leiter

Roberto Bolaño's books are suddenly everywhere, which is a fortuitous development for readers who like adventurous fiction. This literary stroke of luck is thanks in good part to the persistence of the estimable and always forward-thinking New Directions publishers. Farrar Straus and Giroux somehow beat out ND for the rights to two of the late Chilean-born novelist's longest and perhaps...

Books

Life as a Temple

Or life at Temple -- and after it

By:

Robert Leiter

I still remember the day my high school guidance counselor called me into her office and told me that, because of my substandard SAT scores, I'd never get into any of the colleges I'd applied to, and that she wanted me to try Temple University to ensure that I'd receive at least one acceptance (I happened to be an excellent...

Books

You Can Call Her a Living Doll

Author explains the background behind a new ethnic icon

By:

Erica Brooke Fajge, JE Feature

"What number do the years in which the American Girl stories take place end with?" "Four!" came a loud reply. It was uttered by a young fan of the Rebecca Rubin character and books, part of the American Girl series, calling out in response to a question asked by author Jacqueline Dembar Greene. This enthusiastic elementary-school student was not the...

Health

They Hold These 'Truths' to Be Self-Evident

Psychologists offer steps to upend unhappiness

By:

Rita Charleston, JE Feature

"The main message in our book is simply this: If it's meant to be, it's up to me." So says Harold Shinitzky, co-author with Christopher Cortman, of Your Mind: An Owner's Manual for a Better Life . Both men are practicing psychologists in Florida. Shinitzky was the director of the assessment/intervention team prevention services at the Johns Hopkins University School...