Editorial: Ban the Library Police
In a May 9, 2022 editorial, The Roanoke Times supported the recommendation of the Roanoke Valley Public Libraries to do away with late book fines. They referenced Deborah Fallows’s 2020 article…
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Fallowses Give Ball State University Commencement Address
Ball State University’s 2022 Commencement featured Deborah and James Fallows, who gave the Commencement address and received honorary doctorates at the May 7 ceremony in Muncie, Indiana. The Fallowses have…
Books & Writers – The Creative Process Features Deborah & James Fallows
Deb and Jim share their views on writing and life in an episode of the insightful “The Creative Process” podcast series.
A Safe Place to Talk: Raising HIV Awareness through Barbershops
Barbershops are often hubs for conversation in Black and Latinx communities. DKBmed’s Fade Out HIV initiative strives to make use of these gathering spots to destigmatize HIV education and save lives.
How Powerful Stories are Rebuilding a Church
This is the story of Elias Van Buren Parker and how today’s telling of his story has the power to pull the town of Mt. Holly Springs, Pennsylvania from its early glory days, then decline, back to new days of glory.
What Makes a City Great? – BYU Radio
Top of Mind with Julie RoseMillions of Americans move each year in search of a better house, neighborhood, job, or quality of life. Is leaving the only way to live…
Write America: Deborah and James Fallows
Join Alice-Byrd’s Books for the fifty-seventh episode of “Write America,” featuring Deb and Jim Fallows, as they read and discuss their works intimating how the deep divisions in the country…
Real Mississippi podcasts: You Can Go Back Home Again
Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science student Raegan Calvert explores the challenges and opportunities in her hometown of Wiggins, Mississippi
Story Maps are at the Center of Community Collaboration in Kent, Ohio
New digital tools give communities innovative and engaging ways to tell their own stories. In Kent, Ohio, a community-wide collaboration among Kent State University, Main Street Kent, and the Kent Historical Society & Museum uses story maps to teach residents about the town's rich history.
If Small Towns Want to Survive, They Need a Plan B
Tim Holt, editor of the Northwest Review contrasts the effective “Plan Bs” of towns including Mount Shasta, CA and Ashland, OR with that of his own town, Dunsmuir, CA. He…
Never Too Soon: Engaging America’s Youngest Citizens Early and Often
Americans know that retaining their young people requires getting them involved in the civic process early and often.
Why Story Maps Matter
People understand the world through stories. People absorb their stories in ever-expanding ways. Here is a preview of a powerful, emerging form of digital story-telling, which we’ll be using frequently in this space.
Real Voices from Real Mississippi
How podcasts are reshaping how high-school students research and tell stories of their hometowns throughout Mississippi.
Think Global, Perform Local
Troubled by the war in Ukraine, 100-year-old Angie Zerad wanted to do something. With help from her daughter, she began the daily ritual of playing the Ukrainian national anthem.
American Institutions That Still Work
Everyone knows about the parts of America that are so polarized and divided that they have lost touch with their basic functions. Here’s a look at some of the people, institutions, and collaborative cultures that provide examples, and lessons, for the rest of us.
Fountains of Youth for Towns
The life and spirit of any town or city depend on its ability to attract and retain people. In a time when many worry about brain drain, how communities keep their young people, or bring them back, or attract newcomers illustrates a place's sense of and attention to renewal.