America’s Domestic Gurus Are Bad Girls
Why do the pages of shelter magazines for women seem so pristine? The answer is not what you think, according to one scholar.
How Americans Were Taught to Understand Israel
Leon Uris's bestselling book Exodus portrayed the founding of the state of Israel in terms many Americans could relate to.
Nashoba: Not So Interracial, Not So Utopian
In the 1820s, Frances Wright established a community whose major project was the emancipation of enslaved people. Why did it crash and burn?
Four Flowering Plants That Have Been Decidedly Queered
The queer history of the pansy and other flowers.
“Jokes” about Genocide in Puerto Rico
The resignation of Puerto Rico's Governor Ricardo Rosselló echoes an incident from the 1930s.
African American Studies: Foundations and Key Concepts
This non-exhaustive list of readings in African American Studies highlights the vibrant history of the discipline and introduces the field.
Disability Studies: Foundations & Key Concepts
This non-exhaustive reading list highlights some of the key debates and conceptual shifts in disability studies.
Epidemics as Entertainment
Plagues capture the public imagination in ways that other less terrifying--but more deadly--diseases don't.
The Great American Game of Picking the Great American Novel
Arguing about the great American novel was perfect fodder for periodicals in the late 1800s, and it is catnip for a listicle-obsessed internet.
The “Sob Sisters” Who Dared to Cover the Trial of the Century
The term “sob sisters” was used in the early twentieth century to make fun of women journalists who dared cover the first trial of the century.