Revolutionary Writer Maxim Gorky’s NYC Sex Scandal
In 1906, Russian Bolshevik writer Maxim Gorky was given a warm welcome in the United States. Then the American media manufactured a scandal about his girlfriend.
Summer Reading in JSTOR
Stories by Meg Wolitzer, David Sedaris, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, E. Annie Proulx, Amy Tan, Donna Tartt, Lydia Millet, Lauren Groff, and more.
Did North America’s Longest Painting Inspire Moby-Dick?
Herman Melville likely saw the panorama “Whaling Voyage,” which records the sinking of the the whaler Essex, while staying in Boston in 1849.
What About the Art in “Apesh*t”?
Beyoncé and Jay-Z's new music video was filmed entirely at the Louvre museum. What messages hide in the histories of the featured artworks?
3 Questions to Ask About Online Fandom (and Teen Fans)
The internet has played a large role in fostering intense fan communities. But are these high-octane, super-specific interests healthy? Or...interesting?
Plague, Trade Wars, and the World Cup
Well-researched stories from The Atlantic, The Conversation, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
The Many Modes of Mummification
From Egypt to East Asia, ways of making mummies have varied. Sometimes, as a recent find reveals, mummification happens completely by accident.
The Talking Statues of Rome
Since the 16th century, anonymous authors have been posting provocative political messages on or near these Roman statues.
Why We Love World Cup Anthems
The excitement of the FIFA World Cup is exemplified by the songs that become World Cup anthems—both official and unofficial.
W.B. Yeats Loved Tarot Cards
The august Irish poet was once a member of a secret occult order called The Hermetic Society of the Golden Dawn. He was also an avid student of the Tarot.