How the Word “Shoddy” Became an Anti-Semitic Slur
Shoddy came to have anti-Semitic overtones during the American Civil War.
Gender Disparity and Book Reviews: the VIDA Count
The organization VIDA: Women in Literary Arts was launched in 2009 to document gender disparity in book reviews.
Charles Dickens Had It Right
Materialism, by most measures, does not correlate to happiness.
Christmas, Inc.: A Brief History of the Holiday Card
Americans still purchase approximately 1.6 billion holiday cards a year. What about this old-fashioned tradition appeals to so many?
Membership in the Communist Party of China: Who is Being Admitted and How?
The composition of the Communist Party of China has evolved considerably since the party was founded in 1921.
Margaret Sanger’s Eugenics Defense
Margaret Sanger's belief in eugenics stemmed from her interest in individual choice—an idea that brought birth control into the mainstream of American life.
Does Vocal Talent Translate into Album Sales?
The correlation between vocal talent and album sales is a telling indicator of what consumers want.
3 Women Explorers You Should Know
Their names may not be widely recognized, but these three intrepid women explorers deserved broader acclaim for their accomplishments.
Kehinde Wiley: The Unlikely Star of the Hit Show “Empire”
Delve into the art and culture of Fox’s “Empire” through the monumental portrait paintings of Kehinde Wiley.
Tony Schwartz: An Ad Man’s Artistic Legacy
Tony Schwartz, ad man and urban folklorist's artistic legacy from his compilation of audio archive sounds that connected everyday life with the wider world.