The idea of crossing the border between the U.S. and what Jose Limon calls "Greater Mexico" has always conjured images of racial hostility and exclusion. Award-winning anthropologist Limon looks into history, politics, literature, folklore, ethnography, biography, film, song, and dance to probe the deeply entwined and ambivalent relationship between both sides the border over the last 150 years. From the writing of Katherine Anne Porter to the life...

A modern-day Japanese woman's life experiences are inspired by the writings of Sei Shonagon, a female courtier who lived during the Heian Dynasty in 10th century Japan and her father's relationship with his publisher.