John Steinbeck, who won the 1962 Nobel Prize for Literature, had many fans—and a few detractors—among reviewers in America over the years.

A Reflection for the Friday of the First Week of Lent, by James T. Keane.

Called “the Chekhov of the suburbs” for his intimate if painful portraits of American suburban life, John Cheever was a prose master and, said one reviewer, “a boyish scamp.”

Fasting, in addition to being obligatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, remains a common Lenten practice for many. But there are nuances to fasting that are not always well-known.

What a 1965 novel by Graham Greene taught a young Dr. Paul Farmer during his first years working in Haiti.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we recognize Black authors from past and present, including two prominent theologians.

In addition to his novels and screenplays, Myles Connolly was an occasional contributor to America—and one with bold opinions.

The author of “The Moviegoer” and other distinguished novels was also an occasional book reviewer and commentator for America, and his prose in our pages shone as well.

The news that Maus, a graphic novel about the Holocaust, had been removed from school curricula was a reminder of one of our nation’s favorite pastimes: book bans.

Jim Forest, who died on Jan. 13, was a lifelong peace activist and the author of numerous books, including biographies of Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton and Daniel Berrigan, S.J.