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The Editors

Vincent van Gogh, 1889

Van Gogh, Breathing Plastic, and the Music of Struggle

Well-researched stories from The New York Times, Black Perspectives, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Watercolor No.185, Marsh Ragwort

Victorian Botanical Paintings

Amateur botanist Margaret Rebecca Dickinson painted the wildflowers she collected in the English countryside.
King Kong

King Kong, Mole Rats, and the Mark of the Beast

Well-researched stories from Wired, Mongabay, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Clockwise: Nicole Sealey, Ishion Hutchinson, Marilyn Nelson, How Nguyen, Cathy Park Hong, WS Merwin

Sonnets by 11 Contemporary Poets

The name of this fourteen-line poetic form comes from the Italian sonetto, meaning "a little sound or song."
A dog sitting in the woods

Animal Navigation, Mystery Bacteria, and Lies

Well-researched stories from The New Yorker, Scientific American, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Clockwise: Kevin Young, Gwendolyn Brooks, Elizabeth Alexander, Mary Jo Bang, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Jack Gilbert

10 Contemporary Elegies

In these poems of lament, the speaker expresses grief and sorrow.
From left to right: Langston Hughes, Robert Hayden, Emily Dickinson, and Beah Richards

Celebrating National Poetry Month

Our best stories about poetry and poems offer free links to poems from contemporary and classic American poets.
Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris).

Octopus Dreams, Responsible Cussing, and the Filibuster

Well-researched stories from NPR, Atlas Obscura, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Illustration: UFO

Source: Getty

Alien Evolution, Texting while Walking, and a Maya Life

Well-researched stories from Quanta, Wired, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
The Lesbian Herstory Archives at Gay Pride, 2007

Lesbian Landmarks, Texas Bats, and Smelling Phones

Well-researched stories from Atlas Obscura, Black Perspectives, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Hospital with 4 cots in a room without babies

Baby Bust, Dr. Seuss, and Lost Soil

Well-researched stories from The Root, Slate, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
A speaking head emoji

Online Voices, Mongolian Dogs, and Coronazeit

Well-researched stories from The Conversation, Atlas Obscura, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison, Texas Power, and Bathroom Scales

Well-researched stories from Zora, CNBC, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Collage of contemporary Black Poets

Poems by 10 Contemporary Black Poets

Poems by Black poets, including Morgan Parker, Hanif Abdurraqib, Simone White, Terrance Hayes, and more.
Ruins of Ta Prohm, Cambodia

Ancient Cities, Black Prohibition, and COVID Kids

Well-researched stories from Atlas Obscura, Politico, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Cover for Au Revoir, But Not Goodbye

Send Your Valentine a Song

These love songs from the Bowling Green State University Sheet Music Collection make the perfect gift. Plus, the covers are gorgeous.
Seydou Keïta

Celebrating Black Artists

Profiles of Betye Saar, Krista Franklin, Miles Davis, Basquiat, Kanye West, Faith Ringgold and more.
A wombat in Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

Wombat Poop, Black Archives, and Hell on Earth

Well-researched stories from Black Perspectives, Wired, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
City Federation of Colored Women's Clubs of Jacksonville, State Meeting, Palatka, Florida

Black Women, Black Freedom

Celebrating Black History Month with a look at the role of women in movements for liberation.
American poet Amanda Gorman reads a poem during the the 59th inaugural ceremony on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Black Memes, Patriotic Education, and Vocal Tricks

Well-researched stories from the New York Times, Vox, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Zora Neale Hurston, 1937

Zora Neale Hurston

In a controversial letter, the versatile author expressed frustration with critics of segregation.
A funny fisheye image of a zoned out kitty rolling in loose catnip.

Catnip, Conspiracy, and Forest Defense

Well-researched stories from Science Magazine, Knowable Magazine, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
A pan full of mealworms

Eating Worms, Keening, and Sea Shanties

Well-researched stories from The Guardian, Nursing Clio, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
A man holding a confederate flag at the "Stop the Steal" rally on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC.

A New “Lost Cause,” Rhinos on the Edge, and Moon Water

Well-researched stories from CNN, the New York Times, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Jesus by Veloso Salgado

Jefferson’s Jesus, Protest Photos, and Ancient Ice

Well-researched stories from The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.