The Gender Politics of the First Boy Bands
Crooning, a musical style of the late 1920s and early 1930s, was fraught with gender panic. Where the singers manly enough?
Why The Young Pope Matters
Has anything like the events depicted in The Young Pope ever happened before? The answer, you may be surprised to learn, is yes.
The Origins of Human Speech: More Like a Raven or a Writing Desk?
Language is the cognitive faculty that separates humans from other animals, but interjections have often been equated with the primitive cries of animals.
The Real-Life Story Behind Number the Stars
An interview with Lois Lowry reveals that the popular children's novel Number the Stars was based on a true story of resistance to the Nazis.
The Bird-Catching Pisonia Trees
Found mainly on Caribbean islands, Pisonia trees resemble any typical large, tropical tree. Typical, that is, until you notice the bones.
Louis XIV, Napoleon, and Macron: The Choreography of Portraits
Official portraits have been a means of communicating intention and creating image throughout history. Consider three of France's iconic leaders.
What Does Jesus Christ Superstar Have to Do With the Show Transparent ?
Jesus Christ Superstar is a global phenomenon, and with Transparent’s recent use of and even reboot of the rock opera, its fanbase is sure to keep growing.
Jane Addams’s Crusade Against Victorian “Dancing Girls”
Jane Addams, a leading Victorian-era reformer, believed dance halls were “one of the great pitfalls of the city.”
Microbes Might Paint Your Next Party Dress
The official “fashion month,” September has concluded its parade of gorgeous outfits. These contain harmful dyes, though. Can microbes make safer colors?
Summoning 17th-Century Scholars: Researching The Weight of Ink
Author Rachel Kadish tells us about how she used JSTOR to research her fascinating, complex new novel, The Weight of Ink.