Van Gogh, Breathing Plastic, and the Music of Struggle
Well-researched stories from The New York Times, Black Perspectives, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
How the LAPD Guarded California’s Borders in the 1930s
Working well outside their jurisdiction, the officers patrolled their state's borders against white migrants.
Polygamy, Native Societies, and Spanish Colonists
Having more than one wife was an established part of life for some Native peoples before Europeans tried to end the practice.
Fly Me to Cuba, Said the American Hijackers
The first diplomatic agreement between the US and Castro's Cuba was to stop Americans from committing "skyjackings."
Ernest Hemingway and Gender Fluidity
Despite his reputation for hypermasculinity, the author was fascinated by different forms of gender expression.
Victorian Botanical Paintings
Amateur botanist Margaret Rebecca Dickinson painted the wildflowers she collected in the English countryside.
Why Do We Listen to Sad Music?
Scientists investigate the emotional and physical effects of sad music, in an ongoing quest to explain the "paradox of pleasurable sadness."
When the CIA Was Everywhere—Except on Screen
Hollywood was just fine avoiding all portrayals of the Central Intelligence Agency for years after the agency's founding in 1947.
The Hardworking Dogs of Medieval Europe
Not everyone can be a pampered pooch.
Plant of the Month: Cordyline
Plantfluencers? Back in the nineteenth century, it was the dazzling leaves of cordyline that set trends in domestic style.