Jessie Chaffee Florence in Ecstasy

Expecting the Unexpected: Researching Florence in Ecstasy

Debut novelist Jessie Chaffee on how she researched her critically-acclaimed new novel Florence in Ecstasy, with a little help from JSTOR.
Atlantic City casinos

Atlantic City’s Grand Casino Bust

Nearly every American is now within a few hours’ drive of a casino. But critics note that casino gambling has not delivered on its economic promises.
Newspaper boxes

To Save Congress, Restore Local News

Since Donald Trump was elected, national news stories dominate our attention and our social media feeds—at the expense of local news.
Photgraph: Fred Rogers lacing up his iconic sneakers

Source: Grand Communications/The Fred Rogers Company

Long Live Mister Rogers’ Quiet Revolution

Fred Rogers argued by example and in his quiet, firm way that television’s power could be harnessed to shape future generations for good.
John Calvin

John Calvin: The Religious Reformer Who Influenced Capitalism

Both the blame and the credit for capitalism has often been placed at the feet of a 16th-century Christian theologian named John Calvin.
Marshall McLuhan

The Mystical Side of Marshall McLuhan

Communication theorists don't usually merit international celebrity, with one giant exception: Canadian professor and author Marshall McLuhan.
Fallingwater

Frank Lloyd Wright at 150

Frank Lloyd Wright remains the most famous American architect even though he was born just two years after the end of the Civil War.
Michelle Obama school lunch

Who Doesn’t Like Healthy School Lunches?

The Trump administration’s decision to relax nutrition standards for school lunches is the latest development in a century-long fight.
women pirates

Women Were Pirates, Too

Maybe you've never heard of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, but they were real-life women pirates who cross-dressed to get on ships.
Lakewood Church

Does the “Prosperity Gospel” Explain Trump?

According to the Prosperity Gospel, wealth is a sign of God's favor. Trump Tower is not just his monument. It is seen as God's gift.