“Poetry is a transformative art form that compels people to think, to reflect and to engage. ” More from Mohammad Moussa.

“It is an exploration of my life through the whirlwind of hip-hop and poetry. ” More from Kane Smego.

“Spoken word poetry and oral storytelling are at the core of what it means to be human.” More from Will McInerney.

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at the making of our magazine cover in this photo shoot for “Carolina’s Human Heart: Living the Arts and Humanities,” featuring assistant professor of music Cherie Ndaliko and spoken word poet Will McInerney.

“The South in Color” completes an informal trilogy that Bill Ferris began with “Give My Poor Heart Ease” and “The Storied South.” The earlier works featured his black-and-white photographs of Southern musicians and writers; this is his first book of color photographs.

The road to the White House is usually rocky. But this time the pavement has been split wide open by extreme polarization — and not just between Democrats and Republicans. The landscape within the parties has also fractured into the mainstream and the mavericks.