Codifying What Counts as a Word in Scrabble
Alfred M. Butts first created a word game called Lexico (or Lexiko) for his family in 1931. His business partner renamed it Scrabble.
The Rise and Fall of the Supersonic Concorde
Once a major advancement in aircraft technology, the Concorde jet was retired in 2003.
The Truth About Sherlock Holmes: He’s Actually Henry David Thoreau
A tongue in cheek comparison between the British fictional sleuth and the American Transcendentalist author, just because.
When America Went Crazy for Mulberry Trees
In the early 19th century, mulberry trees became associated with economic prosperity and morally upright productiveness, leading to a speculative bubble.
Is Don Quixote to Blame for Modern Movie Reboots?
The culture industry has long repackaged content from the past for the present. Just look at Miguel de Cervantes’s Don Quixote.
The Jewish-American Writer Who Transformed U.S.-Mexico Relations
How did Anita Brenner, a Mexican-born, American Jewish writer and journalist use art to try to bridge the gap between the United States and Mexico?
Are Mothers Monsters? Revisiting Mommie Dearest
On the surface, "Mommie Dearest" is a portrait of vanity and self-obsession. Dig deeper, and it reflects society’s discomfort with mothers and single women.
6 Tips about Academic Writing for #AcWriMo
November is Academic Writing Month. We’ve gathered six helpful tips for your scholarly writing—with academic citations of course.
From the Mixed-Up History of Mrs., Miss, and Ms.
Language can reveal power dynamics, as in the terms of address, or honorifics, are used to refer to a woman's social status: Mrs., Miss, and Ms.
The Dangers of Gone With The Wind‘s Romantic Vision of the Old South
Writer Margaret Mitchell was born on November 8th, 1900, at the beginning of a new century. Her novel Gone ...