They Just Need to Get a Job: 15 Myths on Homelessness

by Mary Brosnahan

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As the COVID-19 crisis put millions of Americans in danger of eviction, the nation’s affordable housing crisis has reached new heights. Yet Conservative think tanks like the Manhattan Institute continue to disseminate anti-homeless myths in the media, legislatures, and the larger culture:

• “These people just need to learn to save money.”
• “Most homeless people are mentally ill and dangerous.”
• “Runaways aren't really homeless.”

Drawing on her deep legal knowledge, policy expertise, and decades of frontline service, Mary Brosnahan cuts through the misinformation to deliver two important messages: that homelessness ultimately stems from a lack of investment in affordable housing; and that the greatest myth of all is that we should have no hope. In fact, the proven solutions are well documented, and the ability to enact them depends on us all.

Brosnahan takes a nationwide look from New York to Detroit to rural areas such as Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, to debunk 15 widespread misconceptions, including:

• that the problem is inevitable (in fact, Housing First approaches have shown great success)
• that “handouts” cause homelessness (in fact, the primary causes are flat wages and high rent)
• that homeless people need to prove that they’re “ready” to receive aid (in fact, enforcing hurdles is far more expensive and less effective than Housing First).

With brilliant insight, Brosnahan showcases how by dispelling these pervasive myths rooted in fear, we can embrace the affordable, housing-based solutions that will bring our impoverished neighbors home.

Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause

by Naomi Watts

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At thirty-six, Naomi Watts had just completed filming King Kong and was trying to start a family when she was told that she was on the brink of menopause. It is estimated that seventy-five million women in the United States are currently dealing with menopause symptoms (dry itchy skin, raging hormones, night sweats), and yet the very word “menopause” continues to be associated with stigma and confusion. With so little information, many women feel unprepared, ashamed, and deeply alone when the time comes.

This is the book Naomi Watts wishes she had when she first started experiencing symptoms. Like sitting down over coffee and having an intimate chat with your girlfriend, Dare I Say It blends funny and poignant stories from Naomi and her friends with advice from doctors, hormone experts, and nutritionists to take the secrecy and shame out of menopause and aging. Answering questions such as: What’s hormone therapy and should I be on it? Will I ever sleep again? Will I get myself back? What happened to my libido? Do I need eighteen serums for my aging skin? Whose body is this anyway? Who am I now? Naomi Watts shares the most up-to-date research on how to manage menopause symptoms and tackle the physical and emotional challenges we encounter as we age.

Listening to Trees: George Nakashima Woodworker

by Holly Thompson

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Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, George Nakashima began a love story with trees that grew throughout his remarkable life as an architect, designer and woodworker.

During World War II, George, with his wife Marion and their baby daughter, endured incarceration in Minidoka prison camp, where he drew comfort from the discipline of woodworking.

Once free, George dedicated the rest of his life to crafting elegant furniture from fallen or discarded trees, giving fresh purpose and dignity to the wood and promoting a more peaceful world. Today, his pieces are displayed in museums and greatly coveted by collectors. His studio, now helmed by his daughter Mira, is still active in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Weirdly Walter

by Julia Walton

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Sometimes finding your voice can sound funny. Walter and his father have always been inseparable. They’ve traveled the country together. Walter’s been to just about every one of Dad’s gigs. But this year, Walter’s sent to live with his grandfather, in the town where Dad grew up, and start fifth grade at the Apple Grove Performing Arts Academy all on his own. And the worst part is—Walter has no idea why.

On his first day, Walter impresses the entire school with hilarious impersonations during the morning announcements. He finds himself tapped to try out for the school musical, but when his costar unearths the true reason why Walter’s dad isn’t around, will Walter be able to face the music?