This book was at once painful and exhilarating to read. Some of the pieces were merely okay, but most were at least thought-provoking. A couple moved me to tears.Joyce Carol Oates and Alice Walker were both memorable, as were many others. The stories were ordered alphabetically, according to the author.

The pictures were scattered through the book, in various spots, often mixed in the pages of a short story, and none of them had numbered pages. I'm primarily a person who prefers words to images, and most of the graphic artists were more along the lines of political cartoonists. There were some nice pieces, but I'd have really preferred that they not interrupt the flow of the piece I was reading. I understand not having page numbers on them, since it would have reduced the impact of the statement in some cases.

I was happy to buy it, considering that the proceeds go to the ACLU. I may buy a couple more copies to give as gifts, later in the year.

A special mention goes to Neil Gaiman, who wrote a poem for his offering. It's titled "Hate for Sale" and it made me weep. ( )