Atlantic City Focus Launches “What Are You Reading?” with Educator and Bookseller Darren Palmer

Atlantic City Focus is proud to introduce a thoughtful new bi-weekly column, What Are You Reading?, debuting Sunday, January 11, 2026, that will run throughout the year. The column will be written by Darren Palmer, a retired Atlantic County public school educator, entrepreneur, and owner of L’Ouverture Books.

At a time when headlines move fast and attention spans grow shorter, What Are You Reading? invites readers to slow down, reflect, and engage with books that shape how we understand history, culture, education, and the future. Each week, Palmer will spotlight a book he is reading—or revisiting—and unpack why it matters now.

The column’s tone is accessible but intellectually grounded, rooted in Palmer’s belief that “every book is new until you have read it.” His writing connects past and present, helping readers see how ideas travel across centuries and continue to influence modern life.

One early example of Palmer’s approach is his exploration of Roman Africa, a late-19th-century French colonial text examining the Roman conquest of North Africa. Palmer uses the book not simply as history, but as a lens to challenge assumptions—about naming, power, colonization, and how empires study the past to shape the future. His analysis reminds readers that those who influence the world think not just in years, but in decades and centuries.

In another column, Palmer turns to 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari, suggesting that it should be required reading for educators. Drawing on his decades in public education, Palmer reflects on how Harari’s ideas—particularly around critical thinking, adaptability, and emotional balance—speak directly to the urgent need for transformation in schools, especially in an era shaped by artificial intelligence and rapid social change.

What Are You Reading? is not a traditional book review column. It is a community conversation starter—one that asks readers to think deeply, read widely, and consider how ideas influence our schools, our communities, and our sense of self.

As Atlantic City Focus continues its mission of community-centered storytelling, this new column reinforces a simple but powerful idea: reading is civic engagement.

Readers are invited to join Darren Palmer every Sunday beginning January 4, 2026, and to ask themselves the same question:

What are you reading?

(Darren Palmer is a retired public school educator from Atlantic County, NJ and an entrepreneur. Darren has been involved or affiliated with many community based organizations and culturally focused activities. He currently owns L'Ouverture Books found online at louverturebooks.com)

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