Mark Dowd has experienced two vocations. One was a calling to the priesthood, which didn't last, but the second was to journalism, which wound up becoming his life's work.

With his recent vulgar ranting about "shithole countries" vis-à-vis immigration, President Donald Trump has once again been accused of being a racist, which makes Randy Boyd's new e-book, the perfect opportunity to discuss race relations.

They may be the worst eight words a gay man can hear - "I have bad news on the HIV test" - but health journalist John-Manuel Andriote endured them in 2006 when he received an HIV diagnosis, turning his world upside down.

San Francisco, Mid-1970s. A perfect place at a perfect time. Mark Abramson's memoir is the next best thing to being there, and here's a sample.