Anna Quindlen

The future of reading is backlit and bright.

We elected him to do the right thing—not take dictation.

Assessing a young presidency. Barack Obama campaigned as a populist firebrand but governs like a cerebral consensus builder. The founding fathers wouldn't have it any other way.

Three big binders bring a message from a new generation about the future of the news business.

Being a parent is easy and intuitive, correct? Well, no—it's just customary to pretend that that's the case.

There's no need to waste time with further study. The policy on gays in the military must be overturned now.

It would be so much easier for Americans to get a handle on the financial crisis if they knew what it was about.

Congress loves abstinence-only programs so much it has thrown big bucks at them. The public? It's got better ideas.

Mary Todd may have been the first to see greatness in her husband. But once he was a legend, history saw only the worst in her.

American women have found a new way to keep abortion a personal and private responsibility. It comes with a glass of water.

The welfare of women should be a key component of American foreign policy. And we've got the woman to make that happen.

The atmosphere demands it, the American people need it. The Inaugural Address should be the first salvo by an orator in chief.

As the boom times fade, an important holiday question surfaces: why in the world did we buy all this junk in the first place?

Same-sex marriage was beaten back at the ballot box. Now here's a history lesson on why victory is inevitable in the long run.

Occasionally America turns out to be every bit as good as its hype. It's thrilling to be around to witness one of those moments.

If the millennials seize the (election) day, they could transform the terms of American civic engagement for decades to come.

Americans look for the character trait that the times require. There's no question: this moment cries out for stability.

One of the greatest natural resources in America is going underused. And she may be sitting right at the next desk.

If you're a Republican, you'd better learn. The right wing that trashed the women's movement suddenly finds its inner feminist.

It can be tough being black in America. But the tough stuff builds character. Maybe that's why Barack Obama got this far this fast.

The terrorists have laptops in their hideouts. Can America afford to have a leader who is just learning how to use one?

A teacher who is psyched about engaging struggling students learns that bureaucracy is more important than pedagogy.

Sometimes big events shake the nation's sense of self. But sometimes it is the small things, like the sound of jingle mail.

Senator? Senator! I have gray hair and crow's feet and a lifetime of being underestimated. I'm nobody's sweetie. And I vote.

Scream, shout, jump up and down. No matter. The gay-marriage issue is over and done with. The upshot: love won.

It can still be a victory lap even if you don't win. Hillary Clinton should be thinking about her legacy, and how best to use it.

The most important decision a president ever makes? It's choosing a Supreme Court nominee. Voters, take note.

There was a time when John McCain had positions. Then he ran for president, and everything was suddenly up for grabs.

The job of a mother is to take care of her children. There is nothing more at odds with that mission than the call to war.

It's hard to serve your country in Baghdad or Kabul. It shouldn't be hard to pay for college once you've come back home.