haunted mansion A touring Bolivian orchestra is stranded in a German castle surrounded by 23 packs of wolves Thom Dunn

History "The Christmas Uprising" in Jamaica, 1831, heralded the end of slavery in the British Empire Elías Villoro

News Trump pardons Steve Bannon, Elliot Broidy, Lil Wayne, others — 73 pardons, 70 commutations Xeni Jardin

Civil War Ethan Hawke as abolitionist John Brown in The Good Lord Bird Kevin Reome

science fiction "Southland Tales" is the perfect hot mess of a movie for the 4th of July in the hellscape of 2020 Thom Dunn

usausausa Frederick Douglass: What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? Cory Doctorow

barack obama Barack Obama lists his favorite books, music, and movies of 2018 Gina Loukareas

trump Donate to the Bowling Green Massacre Victims Fund Xeni Jardin

stoicism Here's an ancient philosophy so simple even a 5-year-old could understand it Ryan Holiday

videos Frederick Douglass' "The Meaning of July the Fourth for the Negro," read by James Earl Jones Cory Doctorow

books Reminder: Neal Stephenson predicted Donald Trump in 1994 Cory Doctorow

futility closet A spectacularly disaster-prone oil tanker and other curiosities Futility Closet

politics The two brilliant, prescient 20th century science fiction novels you should read this election season Cory Doctorow