It's a Beautiful Thing on the Fourth

Happy 4th of July to all of you in the U.S. today! It's a rainy, dark day in my corner of the universe, which makes me perversely happy. The perfect kind of day to burrow in and read and write.

But in a nod to the holiday, I'll offer up a song from one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Slaid Cleaves. More people really do need to know about this guy! This song, "Beautiful Thing," is an indictment of my country's passivity and naivete, yet also a celebration that at heart we are a kind and gen...