Jeffrey Howe: 3 books

Christmas 1983 at the last porno theater in St. Louis: You'd think the atmosphere would be sordid with a miasma of stale popcorn and dank upholstery. You'd be right. Yet, behind the crumbling facade and flickering marquee, even the staff of the Lyceum have holiday plans -- and they're not going to let...

Apart from running the family farm, Jake's daily routine is simple: Late every afternoon he searches his son Joey's room to make sure Joey didn't bring something unwelcome or alien into their house. Joey doesn't appreciate his father's intrusions, but it's Jake's house, Jake's rules, right? Besides, Joey has nothing to hide. Nothing at all. A short story.

Trial by jury is one of the most important aspects of the U.S. legal system. A reflective look at how juries actually function brings out a number of ethical questions surrounding juror conduct and jury dynamics: Do citizens have a duty to serve as jurors? Might they seek exemptions? Is it acceptable...