Tomatoes as Medicine
Tomatoes, once believed by Americans to be poisonous, became an unquestioned staple of a healthy diet thanks to doctors and popular cookbooks.
Goat Yoga, Selling Coal, and the Commercial Hajj
Well-researched stories from Smithsonian Magazine, The Conversation, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
When Men Join Cheer
What happens when former football players, accustomed to practicing and playing in all-male environments, join gender-integrated cheerleading squads?
The Forgotten Temperance Movement of the 1950s
Despite the repeal of Prohibition, alcohol consumption was an enormous political issue for many white American Protestants.
Microbots, Swamps, and the “Chitlin Circuit”
Well-researched stories from Knowable Magazine, Slate, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Patriotism and Consumerism in the Civil War
For a burgeoning consumer society, store-bought flags and bonnets offered proof that commercialism could go hand in hand with heartfelt emotion.
Face Mites, Casanova, and Apocalyptic Disasters
Well-researched stories from The Guardian, The New Yorker, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Octavia Butler’s Roots in Black History
The Parable books seem different yet familiar, their plots framed by a world shattered by racism, economic inequality, and climate change.
The Battle over Drag in 1960s San Francisco
The organized struggle for rights has been shaped by debates over the relationship between gender presentation and sexuality.
Smiles, Pollen, and James Baldwin
Well-researched stories from Aeon, Teen Vogue, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.