Check out our interview with Susan L. Katz, the author of "Pole Dancers at the Red Barn."

In his author’s note for his astonishing debut book “The Nightingales” (Avid Reader Press, 2026), San Franciso-based gay illustrator and comic book artist Emil Wilson writes that the “basic setup” of the story is true, but it “isn’t a memoir” and he took “several liberties.” Regardless, in addition to essentially reinventing the visual presentation of a graphic novel, he has created unforgettable characters. Set in 1985 Oregon, there’s wise teenager Lou (aka Louise), kid sister of gay brother Emil; helpful father Donald; self-involved mother Annemarie (who is on a first name basis with the Virgin Mary); Donald’s gay co-worker Jim, a man with AIDS whom Donald invites to move into the family’s home when he loses his apartment; and Jim’s Pomeranians, Henny and Penny, who function as a kind of Greek chorus and add a dose of levity. Be sure to have a box of tissues close by when you get to part five because you will need it.

Making music sound difficult is easy. Creating subtly subversive music and making it sound easy demands a special talent. Brazilian composer Antônio Carlos Jobim made a mark in American culture with music of deceptive simplicity.

It’s hard for me to believe, but more than 20 years have passed since I last interviewed Ani DiFranco. Since that time, she’s released another seven albums. She became a mother to a daughter and a son. She made her Broadway debut. She co-produced a song on a Margaret Cho album. She wrote a memoir and two books for young readers. Her latest book, “The Spirit of Ani: Reflections on Spirituality, Feminism, Music & Freedom” (Akashic, 2026) was co-written with Lauren Coyle Rosen. Essentially a series of interviews, DiFranco’s voice, brilliance, and spirit, of course, come shining through on each page.