A daily look at Bowdoin and the world
This year, famine threatens 20 million people, more than any time since World War II. South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia, and Yemen all have suffered prolonged warfare and thus increased rates of starvation.
The Washington Post presents a visual guide to the countries’ humanitarian food crises.
A commonly overlooked side effect of opioid painkillers is constipation. The gastrointestinal consequences of the drugs have pushed addicts to wonder whether other constipation-causing medications elicit a similar high.
Loperamide, an opioid known by its brand name Imodium, is an over-the-counter treatment for diarrhea that can, in extremely high doses, produce a high or alleviate withdrawal symptoms. The cheap and legal opioid has contributed to rising overdoses. Read more in The Atlantic.
Susan Faludi
Susan Faludi, a research associate at Bowdoin and a former Tallman Scholar in Gender and Women’s Studies, came close to winning her second Pulitzer Prize.
Faludi was a finalist in the autobiography category for In the Darkroom, in which she explores the meaning of gender and identity as she describes her relationship with her father as he undergoes gender reassignment surgery.
The book was one of three nominees under final consideration. In the Darkroom was named one of The New York Times’ 10 Best Books of 2016 and also won the 2016 Kirkus Prize for nonfiction. Faludi previously won a Pulitzer while working at The Wall Street Journal. More in the Associated Press piece picked up by U.S. News & World Report.
“I liked wine the same way I liked Tibetan hand puppetry or theoretical particle physics,” writes journalist Bianca Bosker in the introduction to her new book Cork Dork, “which is to say I had no idea what was going on but was content to smile and nod.”
Smithsonian Magazine explores the scientific history of wine and the process of its production. Many consumers do not realize the chemistry required to produce wine, as bottles rarely list their ingredients. Alcohol is not covered by the FDA, so winemakers are not required to disclose what is inside. Read more about it.
Bowdoin Obituaries
Rudalevige in Washington Post: What Did Founding Fathers Think of the Press?