Christian Dior vs. Christian Dior
The designer’s impulse to convey his two selves to the public stemmed from a desire to be seen as genuine artist working in a world of artifice.
The Reading Abbey Girls’ School
This all-girls boarding school in England produced a generation of accomplished female writers in the eighteenth century.
The Working-Class Radicalism of Mississippi’s Head Start
The Child Development Group of Mississippi created jobs and fostered the political inclusion of poor African American and white communities in the South.
The Truth About Isabella Van Wagenen
Sojourner Truth’s entanglement with a dubious cult leader in New York City steadied her steps on the path for women’s rights.
So You Plan to Teach Moby Dick
The study of Melville’s novel is enhanced by contextualizing it with primary and secondary sources related to the American sperm whaling industry.
Today: The Best Day of the Year to be Born
Children who are oldest in their class—those born in early autumn—enjoy both a physical and an academic advantage.
Urchins of New York and Elsewhere
Remembering the Sky Parlor for lost children and the public’s fascination with those who went astray.
Plant of the Month: Corpse Lily
The largest flower on the planet—a gigantic, pungent parasite—reveals deep genetic mysteries and unique conservation challenges.
Introducing Our Visual Literacy Column, “Learning to Look”
Developing visual literacy skills unlocks a means of understanding and engaging with the world that cannot be replaced by any text.
Dinosaur Sounds, Universe Sounds, and White People Food
Well-researched stories from FiveThirtyEight, Bon Appetit, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.