The Grateful Dead, Tape Trading, and the Music Industry
What the difference between tape trading and bootlegging in rock music?
From Twain to Fargo: the Outsider in American Storytelling
The Lorne Malvo character on the new Fargo TV series, is like the character Satan in Mark Twain's final novel, The Mysterious Stranger.
Black Death and the Godz of the New Pop Art
In America, black humanity is a folk category; and black death might have become the new pop art.
Bill O’Reilly: The Thug Life
The O’Reilly Factor follows a “set of binary codes of the form sacred vs. polluted,” expressed in a number of ways according to sociologist Matthew Norton.
An American in Paris: Onstage and Onscreen
Whatever your thoughts on the Broadway production, An American in Paris is a big deal in the history of movie musicals.
Why You Know Marc Maron Better Than Your Own Family
How the transmedia work of Marc Maron engages with fans.
New Brown Godz Look Back: M.I.A.’s Arular at 10
A look at M.I.A's groundbreaking Arular at ten years old.
What Role Did Laura Keene Play on Abraham Lincoln’s Last Night?
Actress Laura Keene's role on the night of Lincoln's assassination is shrouded in myth.
The Vampire Virtuoso? Paganini’s Bloodletting Kit Is for Sale
Paganini's personal bloodletting kit contains three domed-shape glasses with brass twist spouts and a brass scarification (scraping) tool.