Poets, rock stars, authors-and even mere mortals-all share a nightly sojourn-a temporary stay-in the land of dreams. Alice Robb argues they are not just flights of fancy, but critical to health and happiness in our waking hours too.

Stories are sometimes told with a particular message for their audiences. Other times, they are just stories. And in some cases, you can't tell the difference. Enter the playwright, songwriter and novelist Jeff Jackson, who explores the intersection of fame and violence in a remarkable new novel.

Democracy relies on facts, accurately reported and commonly understood-and journalists play an essential role in building that shared body of knowledge. Llewellyn King argues that technological change is placing great strain on our democratic societies.