People enjoying their evening on a beach on Honolulu, Hawaii.

Mele Kalikimaka! How To Say “Merry Christmas” In Hawaiian

Translating "Merry Christmas" into Hawaiian offers insight into the language's modest inventory of consonants.
Vida logo

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.
Louis Prang Christmas

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?
Kehinde Wiley

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 records a hippo in the Central Park Zoo. New York, NY

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.
Deborah Eisenberg, short story writer, New York, NY.

The Stories of Deborah Eisenberg

Two short stories by Deborah Eisenberg.
Cover of "Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village" by Ronald Blythe

The Re-Release of a Classic

A new American edition of Ronald Blythe's Akenfield reminds us why it became one of the founding texts of oral history.
George Costanza

Renegade and Folk Hero: The Lasting Appeal of George Costanza

Seinfeld's George Costanza holds a strange place in culture. He's loved, but unlovable. At the heart of that contradiction is his status as folk hero.
Frank Sinatra was arrested when he was 19 years old for the crime of "seduction" in New Jersey.

Frank Sinatra’s Radical Past

On the occaision of Frank Sinatra's centennial, we look into his radical past.
Devo onstage in their trademark bright yellow costumes.

Devo’s Brilliant Use of Irony

The New Wave band Devo mocked the music industry from within.