During the first half of the twentieth century, thousands of Russians suffered fates much worse than life-long imprisonment. Joseph Stalin sent many artists, writers, and politicos to the Gulag—or killed them outright.

This is the fictional story of Count Rostov, an educated aristocrat devoted to the literary arts, who found after the first Russian Revolution that being a count was not only illegal, but dangerous. The Count traveled to Paris, and unlike many of his contemporaries visiting abroad, decided to return home. But in the 1920s, under Stalin's Article 58 banning counterrevolution, Rostov stood before a tribunal, and was sentenced to permanent imprisonment at the luxury Metropol Hotel—for writing a poem that he never wrote. Read more about A Gentleman in Moscow

July is Park and Recreation Month, and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is challenging everyone to “Get Your Play On” at a local or national park. Their goal: to get everyone outside and engaged in play by hiking, taking an outdoor class, joining a sports team, or doing anything fun at the park. Read more about Park & Recreation Month