Meredith Maran is a frequent contributor to Salon and the author of "Class Dismissed: A Year in the Life of An American High School," among several other books. To send a message or donation to the Stephens family, please visit www.meredithmaran.com.
Acclaimed author Barbara Kingsolver discusses the sexiness of gardening, the relationship between activism and art, and the allure of homegrown asparagus.
The Keith Stephens I knew was a joyful, charismatic kid working hard to become a responsible adult. Then he was murdered. He can't become just another statistic.
Crime novelist, horse racing junkie and former performance poet Maggie Estep talks about the Beats, touring with Lollapalooza and writing dirty fiction.
Rebecca Walker, the editor of a new collection of essays about the meaning of "masculinity," talks about her anthology -- and how her identity as a black, white and Jewish bisexual affects her work.
While my friends lined up in the rain to get married in San Francisco, I wondered: If this is what we've been fighting for, why do I feel so ambivalent?