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‘Soul Serenade: Rhythm, Blues & Coming of Age Through Vinyl’

Reginald Harris Lamda Literary
This new memoir by pop culture and music critic Rashod Ollison is about growing up with rhythm and blues, and, writes reviewer Reginald Harris, "about the role of music in the lives of everyday music lovers, as both a consolation and a vision of a possible different future." Ollison writes about coming of age, coming to terms with his sexuality, and about what his early twin loves, literature and music, taught him.

What I Didn't Read in the TTIP Reading Room

Katja Kipping War on Want
The secrecy surrounding the text of TTIP is revealing. Anyone who wants to enhance environmental protection, consumer protection and labor standards would have nothing to fear from transparency. Anyone who’s engaged in selling out democracy, on the other hand, is obviously going to want to avoid public scrutiny.

Participatory Budgeting: A School for Citizenship

Ruth Needleman Portside
Canoas, Brazil Mayor Jairo Jorge recently published a book exhorting the left, in particular, but all progressives, to Radicalizar a Democracia: “We must engage citizens increasingly in . . . governments, giving them decision-making power over investments, public policies and strategic development projects at the city, state and national levels.”

Lesson Plan: Teaching With Protest Music

By MICHAEL GONCHAR and KATHERINE SCHULTEN New York Times
Studying the protest music of the past or present can be a powerful and engaging teaching tool for students, whether the goal is to better understand a historical time period, analyze the power of lyrics and poetry, understand forces of social change or respond to current issues.

Lesson Plan: Teaching With Protest Music

By MICHAEL GONCHAR and KATHERINE SCHULTEN New York Times
Studying the protest music of the past or present can be a powerful and engaging teaching tool for students, whether the goal is to better understand a historical time period, analyze the power of lyrics and poetry, understand forces of social change or respond to current issues.

New Hampshire: Populist Uprising

Robert Borosage Campaign for America's Future
The scope of Sanders victory took virtually all observers by surprise. He won on the issues. Democratic voters wanted to replace our health care system with a single payer system, are worried about the economy, consider inequality a major issue. He won on all those issues -- a stunning victory. For Sanders, the challenge now is clear: to introduce himself to African-American and Latino voters, whose support is essential for both the nomination and general election.

Interest in New Noam Chomsky Documentary Has Grown So Large That Even the NY Times Ran a Review—and Praised It!

Alexandra Rosenmann AlterNet
The New York Times, which historically tends to ignore Chomsky, ran a prominent review in its Arts section, going so far as to praise the film and calling Requiem a "well-paced and cogent seminar." Reviewer Daniel Gold writes, "citing Aristotle, Adam Smith and James Madison, among others, he melds history, philosophy and ideology into a sobering vision of a society in an accelerating decline.

Feeling the Yern: Why One Millenial Woman Would Rather Go to Hell Than Vote For Hillary

Holly Wood The Village Voice
There seems to be no shortage of bizarrely sexist assumptions as to why I, a Millennial feminist, am not voting for Hillary Clinton. But speaking as a Millennial feminist, let me assure you: None of them is accurate. But the reason for my political disaffection is plain: There's no persuading me that the Democratic establishment — from where it sits now — has the capacity to represent me, or my values.