From Ma and Pa Kettle to Deliverance (Smithsonian Magazine)
by Alice George
The word “hillbilly” first arrived in print 125 years ago. The people, or caricatures of the people, to whom it referred became important figures in American culture, defining both authenticity and backwardness.

Inventing the Advice Column (Literary Hub)
by Mary Beth Norton
The first personal advice column, written in the seventeenth century, quickly became popular with men and women around England. And people immediately started asking questions “for a friend.”

Parenting and Disability Reconsidered (Slate)
by Jessica Slice
Becoming a parent can be a destabilizing experience. Disabled parents may have additional difficulties—but it seems that they may also have a distinct advantage over their non-disabled peers.

Is this the Creepiest Caterpillar? (Ars Technica)
by Jennifer Ouellette
How do you sneak into a spider’s lair and steal away its food? For one caterpillar, the answer is to clothe yourself in the remains of your last victims. Meet the bone collector.

Why Did the Pope Die After Easter? (The Conversation)
by Michelle Riba
The notion that “staying positive” can stave off terminal illness is misguided, but that doesn’t mean patients have no control over achieving the goals they have for their final days.

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