“The scandal … was not ‘eight men out’ for throwing the series,” writes the author in his new take on the most notorious black mark against sports. “That is only how it went down in history. The scandal was that baseball was... Read More

The first of a proposed series of mysteries, this novel introduces protagonist Bill Mallory, a drifter who privately sees himself through the lens of his Choctaw name, Hom-Astubby. Although he has a law degree, Mallory works as a... Read More

This is an appropriate poet to carry on the tradition of Walt Whitman. The poems in this first collection may not contain “barbaric yawps,” but they certainly speak authoritatively. In “Self-Portrait as Miranda,” the speaker... Read More

It is nearly impossible to say the name Howard Hughes without prefacing it with the word “eccentric.” The man, after all, was as legendary for his mercurial temper, quixotic ambition, and dubious hygiene as he was for his... Read More

“There is a story that moves beyond negativity and mere titillation,” writes the author, who holds a Ph.D. in anthropology. “That story belongs to priests who love their friends and treasure the priesthood. In caring for both, they... Read More

Reconciling science with religion is a longstanding, ongoing project in America. For most people today, electricity is still somewhat magical: they can neither produce it nor explain it. Two centuries ago, it was an awesome new discovery... Read More

The Epic of Gilgamesh, Hammurabis Code, Babylon astronomy-the dimly remembered foundations of literature, law and science…It’s an undeniable benefit to have "Civilizations of Ancient Iraq" (note the plural), 190 pages of... Read More

"Digging" collects eighty-four essays and reviews in which the poet, playwright, and critic Amiri Baraka makes an impassioned case for jazz as a central achievement of American culture. Baraka’s 1963 book, Blues People, is a seminal... Read More