A low-residency MFA writing program is a master’s degree curriculum in which students gather on a campus to attend lectures and workshops for a week or two every semester, and then return to their homes to continue workshopping their writing with their cohorts online. The number of low-residency MFA writing programs in this country have exploded over the past decade as an increasing number … Continue reading Belle Boggs’ ‘The Gulf’ examines what divides us with humor, insight

Fictional tales of dark doings in the hollers and hamlets of Appalachia have become so prolific in recent years, they’ve spawned their own genre: Appalachian noir. North Carolina author David Joy is one of its leading proponents. But his third novel, “The Line That Held Us,” is straight up Southern gothic, and it is as horrifying and delicious as that label suggests. It takes a while for … Continue reading David Joy’s ‘Line That Held Us’ a dark tale of revenge in Appalachia

The latest estimate of lives lost in Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricane Maria is nearing 3,000 and rising. In reading “We Fed an Island” by chef José Andrés, one wonders what that number might have been had the author not arrived five days after the storm and — with the help of 25,000 volunteers — disrupted a federal relief effort he portrays as paralyzed … Continue reading ‘We Fed an Island’ portrays chef’s radical approach to disaster relief

Most city slogans are kind of dumb. Even if they sound clever at first, they begin to annoy over time. I’d be happy if I never heard, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” again. Or “Keep Austin Weird.” If you’ve been to Austin lately, you know that battle has been lost. But whoever came up with the slogan for Marfa, Texas, nailed it: “Tough … Continue reading The mysterious allure of Marfa

With eyes so big they dwarf his gaunt face, the child stands beside an open refrigerator, its contents looking more like garbage than food. Dead flies appear to float in the sludge coagulated on the bottom shelf. Captured in black-and-white, the haunting image and others like it provided the centerpiece for a 1967 congressional hearing on poverty that resulted in an overhaul of the federal … Continue reading Muckraking duo’s legacy endures in photo show of ’80s-era homeless

Amber Tamblyn has already had a more varied career than most people twice her age. Perhaps best known for her roles in “Joan of Arcadia,” “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and “House,” the 35-year-old actress also has published three books of poetry and directed a feature film, “Paint It Black,” in 2016. Her nonpaying jobs include activist and parent, a responsibility she shares with … Continue reading Amber Tamblyn flips the script with debut novel, ‘Any Man’

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — When Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico for 12 hours last September, I watched the news in horror like everyone else. Although I am not of Puerto Rican descent, it felt personal. I was 13 years old when my family moved from our quiet, suburban ranch house in Charlotte, N.C., to a high-rise apartment in San Juan for my father’s job. … Continue reading After the Storm: Volunteer trip to Puerto Rico reveals island still recovering 5 months later

Standing in the doorway, a stick-thin arm protectively crossed against his solar plexus, the dirty-faced boy stares with furrowed brow at the camera. He’s not the focal point of the black-and-white photograph. That’s reserved for the pre-adolescent girl and toddler, whom she holds in her arms with the self-assurance of a seasoned mother. The boy huddles in their shadow. He looks to be around 8 … Continue reading ‘Still Hungry in America’ revisits 1967 photo project that helped change food stamp policy

PONCE, Puerto Rico — There was a time not that long ago when visitors to Puerto Rico’s second largest city were cautioned not to stray from the central plaza after dark. Many of Ponce’s ornate 19th century buildings were vacant and falling to pieces, and the poorly lit streets were made even shadier by some of the characters who roamed them looking for handouts or … Continue reading 19th century glory restored in Ponce, Puerto Rico

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA — The tide was high and the river was running at a fair clip, creating a trickling, rustling sound as it flooded the grasses beneath a cloudless blue sky. Continue reading Navigating the salt marshes of St. Simons Island

LITTLE ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA — It’s just past 6 a.m. on a Monday in May and five early-risers have gathered in a wooden bird blind overlooking Goose Pond. Peering through camera lenses and binoculars, they watch as a stunning avian ballet unfolds. To a symphony of tweets, caws and chit-chit-chitters, black skimmers glide inches above the water, their lower bills dragging the surface to … Continue reading Little St. Simons: Exclusive island is birdwatcher’s wonderland

LIMA, PERU — Lima is famous for its street food. Anticuchos (beef heart kebabs), pork tamales and arroz con leche (rice pudding) are among the delicacies sold on corners from Surco to Miraflores to the Centro Histórico. But no vendors are more sought-after than those frying picarones – a particular favorite of pisco-fueled night owls roaming the streets of Barranco, Lima’s bohemian nightlife district. At first glance, they look like fat … Continue reading Picarones: Peru’s favorite late-night snack