Rare look behind the scenes: Teens make tough choices and face the consequences. June 24, 2008 — -- Adolescence is typically a time of experimentation and testing boundaries, but if you're an ...

In an engaging personal memoir, Mackall, an Ohio-based writer and professor of English, describes the close-knit relationship he has cultivated over more than a decade with a neighboring Amish family.

Writer Joe Mackall gained unprecedented access to one of the most conservative Amish communities through his neighbor Samuel. In his new book, Plain Secrets, Mackall chronicles the tightly knit ...

ARCOLA, Ill. (AP) -- After years of living in Arcola, four men saw a problem. Virtually everyone in central Illinois knew of the strong Amish presence in the area, as did tourists from around the ...

The Amish are often misunderstood, and many of their traditions and values can seem surprising to outsiders. While we are familiar with their distinctive clothing and commitment to simplicity, there ...

(CNN) — The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away ...

Watch 'Primetime: The Outsiders' and 'Primetime: Crime' Wednesdays this summer! June 19, 2008 — -- From a rare look inside the world of Amish teenagers embarking on a pivotal life-altering ...

Faced with subjects whose religion and culture prohibit them from giving interviews on camera or even posing for pictures, many filmmakers would have given up. The folks at PBS' "American Experience" ...

CLEVELAND -- In the stern, self-regulating world of the Amish, those who act out time and again by wearing the wrong clothing, going to movies or otherwise flouting the church's doctrine can find ...

Meet the hottest new women’s fiction subgenre: the Amish romance novel. Seeing as “the church has traditionally viewed fiction as distracting and deceitful,” the Wall Street Journal reports, Amish ...

Only 7% of LAist readers currently donate to fund our journalism. Help raise that number, so our nonprofit newsroom stays strong in the face of federal cuts. Donate now. Writer Joe Mackall gained ...