Langton Hughes, whose book Not Without Laughter, entered the public domain on Jan 1st 2026 January 1st isn’t just New Years Day; there’s another little holiday wrapped up inside. It’s Public Domain Day: the moment when a year’s worth of literature, music, film, television, pop culture, poetry, and science enters the public domain and becomes … Read more
You won’t find a more literate bunch of 4th graders anywhere in the nation than if you go and stand in a Mississippi elementary school. Over the last few years, the Magnolia state has risen from 49th in the country for 4th grade reading level to number 1 in both reading and math at the … Read more
Reginald Dwayne Betts who found books as convict went on to become a poet, lawyer, and founder of Freedom Reads (Karen Pearson/Courtesy of Freedom Reads) Reginald Betts was only 17 years and imprisoned in solitary confinement when the lifeline arrived that would change everything. Someone delivered a book. “Imagine yourself as a teenager, 17 years … Read more