COVID-19 Is Hitting Black and Poor Communities the Hardest
The viral pandemic is underscoring fault lines in access to care for those on margins.
Viral Racism, Universal Antivirals, and Weird Dreams
Well-researched stories from Slate, The New Yorker, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
How Terrence McNally Reimagined the Danse Macabre
The centerpiece of the prize-winning Love! Valor! Compassion! is a rehearsal for an affirming staging of Swan Lake—in drag.
Three Centuries of Distance Learning
We will probably remember 2020 as the time when distance education exploded. But the infrastructure that enabled this expansion was years in the making.
Britain’s World Police in Mandate Palestine
As colonized peoples challenged the imperial powers after World War I, British veterans were tapped to become a ruthless police force.
Why Being Laid Off Can Hurt So Much
If an occupation becomes part of your identity, losing work can feel like a personal failing, even if it's clearly not your fault.
Who Were the Ladies of Llangollen?
Top hat connoisseurs, friends of princesses and poets, tchotchke models, dog lovers, cottage keepers...lesbians?
The Marvelous Experiments of Amateur Plant Breeders
Over 100 years ago, a horticulturalist introduced hybrid plants to California gardeners. Up sprouted a movement of amateur experiments in plant biology.
Anthony S. Fauci on Pandemic Preparedness
Before he led the effort to contain COVID-19, the nation's top infectious disease expert published several papers about pandemic preparedness. Here are two.
Hollywood Cast Laurette Luez as a One-Size-Fits-All “Exotic”
Like many actresses of her day, Laurette Luez was expected to be a beautiful siren in skimpy clothing who could be from almost anywhere—just not here.