Farming in the Desert
A small town in Arizona grows a thriving food scene.
Posts by author
Deborah Fallows
158 posts
Deborah Fallows is a writer, linguist and fellow at New America. She has written extensively on language, education, families and work, China, and travel for The Atlantic, National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times, The LA Times, and The Washington Monthly.
Language as Art in Pittsburgh
Exiled writers use words as art and inspire a community.
Listening to Montana
In Chester, Montana, a world away from city life inspires an artist's music.
How Libraries Are Becoming Modern Makerspaces
They've long served as communal gathering spots, but these civic institutions are becoming gateways to technological tinkering.
A Public Library Tells the Civic Story of a Town
Greenville's public library puts its past and present on full display: mills, racial history, internationalism, public-private collaborations, and culture.
Tech Meets Art in Middle School
A South Carolina public school gives tech-savvy students a sense of humanity.
Mississippi Students Write About Life in Their Home State
Inspiring young writers connect with their literary legacy
Pitching in to Save a Library
In San Bernardino, one way to help save the city is to save its library.
Punching Above Their Weight in Mississippi
Mississippi schools come in #49 in many national rankings. Read these essays and poems by high school students from Columbus, Mississippi. Then tell the folks who make up the rankings that they need a different algorithm.
America’s Libraries: Old Institutions Becoming Very New Again
Most people associate libraries with fustiness, quiet, and a previous era in technology. But across the country, they're embracing new technology to fill important new civic roles.
A Library Writes Its Own Story
A California library becomes a living legend.
Gone Swimmin’
How public swimming pools show you the heart of a town
A Library of Good Ideas
Formula for success in Central Oregon: know the users, spot the opportunities, act with vigor.
The New New York Public Library
Preserving tradition while expanding offerings for a bigger, broader audience.
The Good Ol’ Days of the Motor Hotel Are Back
The metamorphosis of a Bend, Oregon, motel—from its classic origins, to crack house, to upscale rustic elegance
When High School Means a Build-It-Yourself Education
A charter school in Oregon encourages students to shape their own learning