New at Zócalo

  • Essay

    The Spy J.F.K. and Lee Harvey Oswald Loved

    The President and His Assassin Were Both James Bond Fans—But Only One of Them Cast Himself in a 007-Style Operation

    by Deanne Stillman |

    President John F. Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald were both killed in Dallas on the same weekend in November 1963. They were men from distinctly opposed walks of life, and …

  • Diaspora Jukebox

    Gustavo Arellano’s Diaspora Jukebox Playlist

    Essential Music for this Zacatecano Spans Corridos, the Beatles, and AM Radio

    by Gustavo Arellano |

    As part of Zócalo Public Square’s 20th birthday, we’re sharing the sounds of the Southland with “Diaspora Jukebox,” a series of playlists that celebrate …

  • The Takeaway

    The Foundation for a Shared Tomorrow Is Built on Hard Truths

    Panelists for ‘How Does Confronting Our History Build a Better Future?’ Help Us Imagine How to Pave a Hospitable Path Forward

    by Talib Jabbar |

    Confronting America’s history is like fixing or maintaining an old home: acknowledging the parts that are in disrepair, and those that are rotten to the core. This is the metaphor …

  • Connecting California

    On a Rocky Hill in Athens, a ‘Democratic Odyssey’ Begins

    Could a European People’s Assembly—Politician-Free and Chosen by Lottery—Become a Permanent Branch of Government?

    by Joe Mathews |

    Democracy was first built on a lot of loose rock.

    Can democracy now be rebuilt on that very same ground?

    Recently, I spent a long afternoon on a dusty and rocky Athens …

  • Essay

    The Asylum Is Not a Halloween Attraction

    But After My Own Trip to the Psych Ward, I Understand the Haunting Power of These In-Between Spaces

    by Bruce Owens Grimm |

    Haunted attractions that will push you to the edge of your sanity is the tagline that greets you on the Pennhurst Asylum website. Like other asylums-turned-amusement centers, Pennhurst’s marketing focuses …

  • Culture Class

    Could True Crime Make the World a Better Place?

    The Genre’s Sordid Reputation Goes Back to the 1800s—As Does Its Potential to Inspire Those Disillusioned with the Criminal Justice System

    by Jackie Mansky |

    Recreating Mabel Mora’s look for Halloween this year was simple. All it took was a mini skirt, a sweater, some gold hoops, and knitting needles—items I already had lying around …