The Sanitary Commission’s Other Agenda
The US Sanitary Commission is credited with saving lives during the Civil War, but its leadership hoped it would be remembered for advancing racialized science.
Bringing Personal Hygiene to France
France’s notorious disregard for washing gradually changed as military authorities and public schools promoted a modern regime of cleanliness.
Ismat Chughtai’s Quilt and Queer Desire
Long before India decriminalized homosexuality—in September 2018—the short story "Lihaaf" sparked outrage and a lawsuit for its depiction of same-sex, intergenerational intimacy.
Labor Day: A Celebration of Working in America
Our best stories about workers' rights, labor unions, and international movements to improve working conditions, from the factory to the farm.
Ireland’s Upper Sea
In medieval Ireland, ships that sailed across the sky were both marvelous and mundane.
Revolutionary Atrocity
For the Americans, narratives about the savagery of the British became an important part of nation-building and a moral justification for armed rebellion.
Thai American Life in Los Angeles
Or, what the Wat Thai temple tussle in the San Fernando Valley teaches us about public space in America.
The Blu’s Hanging Controversy
Some have argued that the 1997 novel Blu's Hanging perpetuates East Asian racism against Filipinos while undermining criticism through violent sexuality.
“Now We Can Begin”: Annotated
To mark the 1920 ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, activist Crystal Eastman described the path to full freedom for American women.
Ukraine, Russia, and the West: A Background Reading List
Research reports and scholarly articles on the history of the Ukraine-Russia conflicts of the past and possible paths for peace.