Bali’s Demon-Proof Architecture (Atlas Obscura)
by Ronan O’Connell
On the Indonesian island of Bali, architectural features, decor, and even the orientation of homes can reflect the need for protection against demons, which, though not necessarily evil, aren’t anything to mess with, either.
Spies at the Library (Syllabus Project)
by Monica Westin
When the FBI came knocking in the 1980s, librarians refused to help violate their patrons’ privacy. They were acting on a principle developed over decades, thanks to the reference desk.
An Irish Monk in Burma (Aeon)
by Laurence Cox
Who was U Dhammaloka? Born in nineteenth-century Ireland, this migrant worker traveled through twelve countries, used at least five names, became a Buddhist monk, and helped lead anti-colonial campaigns in Burma and beyond.
The Radical Vision of Fannie Lou Hamer (Black Perspectives)
by Peniel E. Joseph
Fannie Lou Hamer began her political work as a 44-year-old Mississippi sharecropper. Within a few years, she had earned the enmity of President Lyndon Johnson, challenged white feminist leaders, worked with Malcolm X, and traveled to West Africa.
The Power of Breath (Knowable Magazine)
by Greg Miller
Breathing doesn’t just keep us alive. It’s deeply linked to the way we speak and to mental and emotional processing, in ways that scientists are just beginning to understand.
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