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The world suffered a great lost when Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa and longtime revolutionary, died on December 5th, 2013. Mandela was South Africa’s first black president and the first president that was democratically elected, a feat that was only made possible by Mandela’s decades of political activism. Mandela was an African nationalist…

English novelist and playwright Graham Greene was one of the most widely read authors of the 20th century. A superb storyteller, he had a flair for writing suspenseful, action-packed stories. His themes were often morally ambiguous and blurred the line between good and evil. A prolific writer, Greene’s bibliography contains over 150 titles, including novels,…

Faulkner is one of the most important writers in U.S. Southern literature, along with Mark Twain and Flannery O’Connor. His novels deal often with Southern culture and what he perceived to be its fall from grace in the transition into a new era, while his writing style is cerebral and experimental with meticulous attention to…

Few people have had such a dramatic impact on shaping the views of the American public as Milton Friedman. His influence has shaped politics, academics and popular culture. A brilliant, world renowned statistician, Friedman was recognized around the globe for his role in shaping international and domestic economics. He was an outspoken activist for smaller…

The Good Earth, scholars agree, created sympathy for China in the oncoming war with Japan: “If China had not captured the American imagination, it might just have been possible to work out a more satisfactory Far Eastern policy,” but such works as The Good Earth, “infused with an understandable compassion for the suffering Chinese, did…

Every year in July, the Florida Keys have a unique celebration of author Ernest Hemingway, who lived and left a powerful legacy in the region. Its called “Hemingway Days” and according to the Florida Keys website, “scheduled events include a look-alike contest for stocky white-bearded men resembling Hemingway, readings and book signings, an awards ceremony…

Bobby Fischer is perhaps the most celebrated American chess player of the Twentieth Century. His latent talent is of no question, but understanding his success suggests going beyond his acumen and studying also those who influenced him. His friend and mentor Larry Evans is one such figure, and their long-standing friendship contributed to Fischer’s career.…