Nuruddin Farah is the author of 11 novels, including Maps, Gifts and Secrets. He is a professor of literature at Bard. Riverhead hide caption

Shirley Parrello's son, Brian, died in Iraq almost ten years ago. Sgt. Kevin Powell was with him that day, and he says he can still picture Brian Parello in the moments after the IED exploded. Storycorps hide caption

Illinois state Rep. Mike Bost argues about gun legislation in 2013. Bost's angry rants have become a campaign issue in his race against Democratic Rep. Bill Enyart for Enyart's U.S. House seat. Seth Perlman/AP hide caption

A depiction of "Gin Lane," filled with sins caused by drunken revelries. William Hogarth/Wikimedia hide caption

Scene still from Bert Williams Lime Kiln Field Day Project. Bert Williams, Walker Thompson (standing center), John Wesley Jenkins (seated right). In a concession to white audiences, Williams, the lead, wore blackface, but the other black characters did not. Museum of Modern Art hide caption

Pat Benatar and Neil Geraldo have been married, making music, and performing together for more than 35 years. Courtesy of the artist hide caption