Tracy K. Smith Is Named 22nd U.S. Poet Laureate

Emma Niles / Truthdig Jun 14, 2017 The Princeton University professor and Pulitzer Prize winner says she plans to bring poetry events "to parts of the country where literary festivals don’t always go." Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

The Idea of Peace in the Quran

By Juan Cole / Informed Comment Aug 22, 2016 Like the Bible, the Muslim scripture has verses about war as well as peace, but those on peace have been insufficiently appreciated. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Burning Ideas: Celebrating Banned Books Week

Roisin Davis / Truthdig Sep 24, 2014 What does “Captain Underpants” have in common with James Joyce’s “Ulysses”? Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Thought Crime in Washington

Staff / Truthdig Nov 29, 2011 Morris Davis was fired by the Library of Congress not because of his work performance, but because he wrote a Wall Street Journal Op-Ed on his own time, using his own computer, as a private citizen. The government just did not like what he wrote.George Orwell, Philip K. Dick and Ray Bradbury would have recognized Morris Davis' problem. Dig deeper ( 11 Min. Read )

Library of Congress to Store Public Tweets

Staff / Truthdig Apr 15, 2010 Twitter users, you've been warned: Your thoughts while showering are about to be saved for posterity. The Library of Congress announced Thursday that the venerable institution of record was acquiring the whole public Twitter archive, so watch what you overshare from now on. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Stephen King: If You Don’t Read, ‘You’ve Got the Army, Iraq’

Staff / Truthdig May 6, 2008 Author Stephen King made an appearance last month at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., where he discussed, among other things, the importance of literacy. As King put it: "I don't want to sound like an ad, a public service ad on TV, but the fact is if you can read, you can walk into a job later on. If you don't, then you've got, the Army, Iraq, I don't know, something like that." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )