Imagination: A Manifesto
Ruha Benjamin
Toni Morrison’s words, “Dream a little before you think,” serve as a guide in Ruha Benjamin’s new book, Imagination: A Manifesto (W. W. Norton & Company). In it she challenges readers to dream beyond some of the constraints our society has set for itself. What would a world without prisons look like? What about a world where everyone has the food, shelter, and love they need? These concepts seem inconceivable, but Benjamin argues we have the power to use our imaginations to challenge systems of oppression through collective organizing.
Lost Fatherland
Iryna Vushko
Iryna Vushko explores the rise and demise of the Habsburg Empire and its effects on the lives and roles of 21 key figures of the time period. These portraits offer new insights into the political and cultural chaos and achievements that profoundly shaped much of European identity throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Understanding this history of conflicting ideologies throughout Europe is still relevant and timely today. Lost Fatherland (Yale University Press) is a captivating work that showcases the tension and struggles faced by many central European countries over the course of this often tumultuous time period, while also leaving room to express the hopes and dreams felt by many citizens as well.