The Offensive Joke Trap
The audience for a joke has options. They can “support” a joke—for example by laughing at it—or they can respond with “unlaughter."
The Pious Undead of Medieval Europe
Bishop Thietmar of Merseburg's eight-volume history contained stories of the living dead—and, he believed, proof of the Christian resurrection.
The Invention of the Passive Fairy Tale Heroine
European fairy tales featured bold, independent female characters—until the Reformation forced shifts in cultural attitudes towards women.
There’s Someone Buried under the Floor!
The story of a building that will not stand until a living human being is imprisoned in its foundations is so common as to form it own genre.