Fear and suspicion were the norm in sixteenth-century Spain and Portugal, a time when Christianity was the only recognized religion. To step outside the laws of the church was to invite the heavy hand of the Inquisition, and any... Read More

Lost in the Florida Everglades, suffering from extreme sunburn and drinking only what water she can filter through her underwear, Professor Brenda Johnson, the protagonist of "The Cuban Affair", wonders who is after her and why. She is... Read More

“If a man lets hatred into his heart, it will control him, and then anything can be justified.” This is one of the painful lessons Sirak Kazerian learns in "The Ghosts of Anatolia". Set in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, on... Read More

In the twenty-first century, American women recognize creative freedom as an inherent right according to US law. Yet in previous centuries, religious and cultural restrictions prevented the public expression of visual, written, and... Read More

As stories about the brutal treatment of women in Islamic countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan abound in the press, Sufi practitioner Tamam Kahn uses her denomination’s inward-looking spiritual approach to Islam to suggest... Read More

When a man becomes a Catholic priest he relinquishes the chance for marriage, family, or sexual intimacy. He gains a life of spiritual devotion and many find this a fair exchange. Sometimes, however, as in the case of Father Vin DiMarco,... Read More

Imagine having to climb six flights of stairs while seven months pregnant—with the flu and a temperature of 102 °F. Imagine going hungry because it’s too tiring to fix scrambled eggs or slice up an orange. Sufferers of chronic... Read More

What does the average Westerner know of Chinese astrology? For most, the abbreviated version printed on the paper placemats of many Chinese restaurants is all the knowledge one can claim. What a shame, because the twelve animal signs of... Read More