Stephen Chiger, 12/19/12

Howitt Fellow for School Leadership, North Star Academy College Prepatory High School

Literature is irreplaceable; it enables teachers to develop skills that other types of writing don't. And since it's on the hot seat, it's time those of us who love teaching literature got clearer about exactly why we do.

Robert Peake, 12/19/12

American poet living in England

I live in a country with a monarch, no constitution, and no guns. I have never felt safer. The only way my homeland will begin to approach similar levels of peace will be to stop re-reading as sacred the texts of early founders, and begin actively drafting and re-drafting their own better future.

Jason Stanford, 12/19/12

Democratic consultant and writer

It's easy to interpret the 2012 election as a ratification of Barack Obama's first term. But down in Austin, the LBJ Presidential Library is making a strong case that the legacy voters cemented in November was Lyndon Johnson's.

Deborah Rosenthal, 12/19/12

Professor of Art, Rider University

Like every other artist and writer on art I know, I have a precious collection of crumbling, yellowing old books and magazines about art on my bookshelves. And like my friends, I've hoped to see these talismanic texts back in print.

Lee Fahnestock, 12/19/12

Translator, 'Les Misérables'

There, at a remote, decrepit, and inconspicuous location with crumbling walls, with a small corner room partitioned off for Cosette, the pair -- prison-hardened man and frightened child -- would enjoy for a while the first warm affection that either had known.

Harry Boyte, 12/18/12

Director, Center for Democracy and Citizenship at Augsburg College

Such ideas may seem academic. But in fact the idea of civil society illustrates the power of framing concepts to structure resources, define the meaning of citizenship, and organize education.

Kathleen Reardon, 12/18/12

Professor, USC Marshall School; Author, 'The Secret Handshake' and 'Comebacks At Work'

If you haven't read Michael Keith's latest anthology of short stories, Sad Boy, you are missing the opportunity to be mesmerized by characters that live with you long after you've closed the book.

Aimee Pozorski, 12/18/12

Professor of Contemporary American Literature, Central Connecticut State University

What we will miss the most -- what we fear we will mourn into perpetuity -- is the voice of Philip Roth himself. He has said he has given up the novel. But maybe he has not given up writing.

Greg Archer, 12/18/12

Author, screenwriter, journalist and professional mood-swinger

Fingers crossed, we should all still be around after the Mayan Calendar fades to black on Dec. 21. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have a few good books nearby -- you know, just in case.

J. Grigsby Crawford, 12/18/12

Author, 'The Gringo'

Before leaving for Ecuador, a friend back home introduced me to an older man who'd been a Peace Corps volunteer in Central America in the '80s. In addition to serving there, he'd later lived in Ecuador for several years.

Gregory G. Allen, 12/18/12

Adversity & Diversity Author

Dizzy is the story of Angie Styles, a beloved Broadway singer and dancer who, at the height of her career, is struck down by a mysterious disease and is forced to reevaluate her life and the people in it as she struggles to survive.

Dan Persons, 12/17/12

Film Journalist

The journey will be long, the challenges daunting, the popcorn very likely stale. But that doesn't matter now -- the grand epic that is the three-part, film adaptation of The Hobbit is upon us with the release of the first installment: An Unexpected Journey.

Don Meyer, Ph.D., 12/17/12

President, Valley Forge Christian College

One of America's best known poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) contributed to the host of Christmas carols sung each Christmas season when he wrote the poem "Christmas Bells" on December 25, 1864.

Melanie Chartoff, 12/17/12

TV and stage/screen actress, humor columnist, Theraprovist, lyricist, librettist, costar 'Fine Lines'

"There probably was no one more combative than Larry David, nor courageous. He bombed more than anyone, because of the nature of his material, which was way offbeat, borderline insane."

Sarah Springer, 12/17/12

Journalist

Don't let the mean mug fool you; strong black women feel pain too. At least that's what Behind the Mask of the Strong Black Woman by Dr. Tamara Beauboeuf-Lafontant claims.

Phil Simon, 12/17/12

Speaker, Author, Tech Pundit

I've been told that I explain technical things well to non-technical audiences. I learned long ago that communication skills were as -- if not more -- important than intelligence, and it turns out that I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Randy Susan Meyers, 12/17/12

Author, 'The Murderer's Daughters,' "The Comfort of Lies,' "What To Do Before Your Book Launch"

My goal is to get my book in front of as many readers' eyes in as many ways as possible. It seemed simplistic when I said it, but really -- other than that which exists to serve ones ego, what else is there for a writer?