Known primarily as a novelist, Gibson has, over thirty years, been approached by different publication to share his insights into contemporary culture. The resulting essays are collected here for the first time.

"This book provides a cultural, political, and social survey through the most American of pastimes that continues to thrive today. With narrative, accessible criticism, research, and popular cultural touchstones we can all recognize, I'd like to introduce readers to the black presence that holds up daily life as they know it. It is a crucial account of the people, stories, and culture that create the hilarious, crazy wonder that is life in the 21st...

"A collection of sharp, poignant essays that expertly blends the personal and political in an exploration of American culture through the lens of our obsession with dead women"-- "In this poignant collection, Alice Bolin examines iconic American works, from the essays of Joan Didion and James Baldwin to Twin Peaks, Britney Spears, and Serial, illuminating the widespread obsession with women who are abused, killed, and disenfranchised, and whose bodies...

From the acclaimed Ojibwe author and professor Anton Treuer comes an essential book of questions and answers for Native and non-Native young readers alike. Ranging from "Why is there such a fuss about nonnative people wearing Indian costumes for Halloween?" to "Why is it called a 'traditional Indian fry bread taco'?" to "What's it like for natives who don't look native?" to "Why are Indians so often imagined rather than understood?", and beyond, Everything...

Readers learn about the #IAmAWitness movement, from early research and attempts to stop bullying, Cyberbullying, and bullying's effects such as school shootings and suicides. Also examined are efforts to prevent bullying from Melania Trump's Be Best campaign and The Megan Meier and Tyler Clementi foundations.

"Imagine a Museum of Lost Art. It would contain more masterpieces than all the world's existing museums combined. From ancient sculptures of Athens and Rome to icons and paintings erased by the Reformation, from artworks destroyed by the Nazis to those looted and smashed by ISIS, a Museum of Lost Art would provide a cutting reminder of the fragility of the world's treasures. [This book] examines the adventures and misadventures of art lost, but also...

We may not often think of our clothes as having a function beyond covering our naked bodies and keeping us a little safer from the elements. But to discount the enormous influence of clothing on anything from economic cycles to the future of water scarcity is to ignore the greater meaning of the garments we put on our backs. Disrobed vividly considers the role that clothing plays in everything from natural disasters to climate change to terrorism...

As every book tells a story, every book in art is part of an intriguing, engaging, and relatable image. Books are depicted as indicators of intellect in portraits, as symbols of piety in religious paintings, as subjects in still lifes, and as the raw material for contemporary installations. 'Reading Art' spotlights artworks from museums and collections around the globe, creating a gorgeous, inspiring homage to both the written word and to its pivotal...

"'It's gotta be the shoes.' When Spike Lee said it to Michael Jordan in a 1989 commercial, it was with a wink and a nod--what makes MJ so good? His Nike Air Jordan IIIs, of course. But as Nicholas Smith reveals in this captivating history, Lee's conclusion also speaks to the sneaker's surprising journey into the heart of American life. In Kicks, we follow the humble athletic shoe from the croquet courts of the elite to fields, parks, and streets everywhere,...

An absolutely essential read, written by a leading expert, for anyone who wants to understand young people's use of social media. What is new about how teenagers communicate through services such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? Do social media affect the quality of teens' lives? In this book, the author a youth culture and technology expert uncovers some of the major myths regarding teens' use of social media. She explores tropes about identity,...