Bursting out of industrial Birmingham in the late 1970s and hitching a ride on the Two-Tone bandwagon for their first single, The English Beat answered the question as to whether punk and reggae should mix, better than anyone else. Their stunning first album in 1980 was an immediate success in their home country and even as they charted an unexpected course through the early years of the new decade, they retained a loyal following of roots, radicals and rockers. They additionally began to ...

This issue has one of the best original stories we’ve published: Janet Law’s brilliant “Wrong Door,” a tale very much in the classic Twilight Zone tradition. Don’t skip it! Though Janice is best known for her mystery stories, this one proves she can write masterfully in any genre.But great stories don’t stop there. Our Acquiring Editors, Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman, have both found original stories this time—from William Burton McCormick and Steve Janko. Plus I’m pleased to pr...

The Midwest has produced a robust literary heritage. Its authors have won half of the nation's Nobel Prizes for Literature plus a significant number of Pulitzer Prizes. This volume explores the rich racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the region. It also contains entries on 35 pivotal Midwestern literary works, literary genres, literary, cultural, historical, and social movements, state and city literatures, literary journals and magazines, as well as entries on science fiction, film...